iBBUed  Juljr  20,  IdlO. 

U.  S.  DEPAR-rMENT  OR  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY.  Chiet 


OIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  CARIBOU 
AREA,  MALNE. 


±o 


BT 


H.  L.  WESTOVER  and  R.  W.  ROWE. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  tlie  Bureau  of  Soils,  1908.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 
1910. 


[Public  Resolution — No.  9.] 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  Amending  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congress,  second  ses- 
sion, approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  "providing  for  the  printing  annually 
of  the  report  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  Hoime  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America 
in  Congress  assembled,  That  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  be 
amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and  inserting  in  lieu  thereof  the 
following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on  field 
operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which  one  thousand 
five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three  thousand  copies  for  the 
use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture:  Provided,  That  in  addition  to  the  number  of  copies  above  pro- 
vided for  there  shall  be  printed,  as  soon  as  the  manuscript  can  be  prepared,  with  the  nec- 
essary maps  and  illustrations  to  accompany  it,  a  report  on  each  area  surveyed,  in  the 
form  of  advance  sheets,  bound  in  paper  covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for 
the  use  of  each  Senator  from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each  Repre- 
sentative for  the  Congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made,  and 
one  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

[On  July  1, 1901,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.] 


Issued  July  20.  1910. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  CARIBOU 
AREA,  MAINE. 


H.  L.  WESTOVER  and  R.  W.  ROWE. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Opi  rjitioii.s  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1908.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 
1910. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 
Washington,  D.  C,  January  25,  1910. 
Sir:  During  the  field  season  of  1908  the  initial  survey  in  the 
State  of  Maine  was  undertaken.  Inception  of  this  work  was  urged 
by  Prof.  W.  D.  Hurd,  Dean  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Maine.  The  greater  part  of  the  important  potato-growing 
district  of  Aroostook  County  was  covered  by  the  survey. 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  report  and 
map  covering  this  work  and  to  request  their  publication  as  advance 
sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1908,  as  author- 
ized by  law. 

Very  respectfully,  Milton  Whitney, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS 


Page. 
Soil  Survey  of  the  Caribou  Area,  Maine,  By  H.  L.  Westover  and  R.  W. 

RowE 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate 8 

Agriculture 9 

The  potato  industry 15 

Soils 19 

Caribou  loam 21 

Caribou  silt  loam 23 

Caribou  stony  loam 24 

Caribou  gravelly  loam 25 

Mapleton  gravelly  loam 26 

Easton  loam 28 

Chapman  loam 29 

Aroostook  silt  loam 31 

Aroostook  loam 33 

Aroostook  sandy  loam 33 

Washburn  loam 35 

Muck 37 

Summary 38 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIGURE. 

Page. 
Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Caribou  area,  Maine 5 

map. 

Soil  map,  Caribou  sheet,  Maine. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  CARIBOU  AREA,  MAINE. 


By  H.   L.  WESTOVER  and  R.  W.   ROWE. 
DESCRIPTION    OF   THE    AREA. 

The  survey'  of  the  Caribou  area,  Maine,  covers  339,200  acres,  or  530 
square  miles,  situated  along  the  eastern  border  of  Aroostook  Comity, 
the  southernmost  point  extending  9  miles  south  of  jnirallel  46°  30', 
and  the  northern  border  to 
within  3  miles  of  parallel 
47°  north  latitude.  Merid- 
ian 68°  west  of  Greenwich 
divides  the  area  into  two 
unequal  parts,  that  on  the 
east  being  9  miles  in  width 
and  that  on  the  west  ap- 
proximately 6  miles  in 
width.  The  area  extends 
a  distance  of  40  miles  north 
and  south  and  lias  a  maxi- 
mum width  of  15  miles. 
The  irregularity  of  the 
southwest  corner  of  the 
area  is  due  to  the  absence 
of  roads  and  the  thickly 
forested  conditions  of  the 
county  in  thissection,  which 
made  it  impossible  to  carry 
the  work  as  far  west  as  was 
originally  intended. 

The  eastern  boundary  of 
the  area  is  formed  by  the 
Province  of  New  Brunswick 
and  the  soutliern  boundary 
by  the  township  of  Monti- 
cello,  Aroostook  County.  The  western  boundary  is  an  arbitrary  line 
that  separates  the  northern  half  of  New  Sweden  Township  into  two 
nearly  equal  ])arts  and  then  passes  south  through  the  middle  of  Wash- 
burn, Woodland,  Mapleton,  and  Chapman  for  a  distance  of  28  miles. 
It  then  narrows  by  successive  steps  to  the  east,  until  at  the  southern 

5 


Fig.  1.— Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Caribou  area, 
Maine. 


6  FIELD   OPEEATIOKS   OF   THE   BUEEAU    OF   SOILS,  1908. 

extremity  the  area  has  a  width  of  only  4  miles.  The  northern  bound- 
ary, also  an  arbitrary  line,  passes  east  and  west  through  the  town- 
ships of  Caswell  and  Connor,  about  one-fourth  mile  north  of  the 
line  separating  them  from  Caribou  and  Limestone  townships  and 
continuing  west  through  the  eastern  half  of  New  Sweden.  As  com- 
pleted the  survey  included  the  full  townships  of  Limestone,  Easton, 
Mars  Hill,  and  the  greater  part  of  Bridgewater;  the  double  townships, 
Fort  Fairfield,  Presque  Isle,  and  Caribou;  the  half  township  Blaine; 
and  parts  of  Township  10,  Townships  D  and  E,  New  Sweden,  Cas- 
well, Connor,  Woodland,  Washburn,  Mapleton,  Chapman,  and 
Westfield. 

The  larger  part  of  the  area  is  a  rolling  plain,  having  an  average 
elevation  of  about  500  feet  and  consisting  of  a  series  of  broad  ridges 
and  swells  with  level  tops  and  with  slopes  that  descend  gradually  to 
the  streams.  With  few  exceptions  the  flat  country  is  occupied  by 
swamps,  which  in  many  cases  probably  represent  the  remains  of  old 
lakes  that  have  gradually  filled  up  with  accumulations  of  vegetable 
matter  and  with  soil  washed  in  from  adjoining  slopes.  These  swampy 
areas  are  found  in  all  townships,  but  are  more  common  and  of  larger 
extent  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area,  where,  as  a  rule,  the  average 
elevation  is  somewhat  less  than  farther  north. 

The  hilly  portion  of  the  area  is  found  principally  west  and  south- 
west of  Presque  Isle.  Three  miles  southwest  of  this  village  there  is  a 
prominent  group  of  hills  known  as  Hobart  Hill,  which  rises  from  200 
to  300  feet  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  country.  To  the  south 
there  is  a  chain  of  mountains,  with  an  elevation  of  300  to  400  feet 
above  the  general  level  of  the  country,  extending  several  miles  in  a 
southeasterly  direction.  Quaggy  Joe  (Qu  aqua  jo)  and  Green  Moun- 
tain are  the  most  prominent  points  of  this  chain.  The  most  noted, 
as  well  as  the  highest  point  in  the  area,  however,  is  Mars  Hill,  located 
just  east  of  the  village  of  that  name.  This  hill  has  an  elevation 
of  1,695  feet  above  tide  level  and  is  2|  miles  long  and  1  mile  wide. 
Knolls  of  morainal  material  are  prominent  surface  features  in  sec- 
tions of  the  area. 

The  area  is  drained  by  tributaries  of  the  St.  John  River,  of  which 
the  most  important  is  the  Aroostook  River.  This  river,  with  its  three 
main  tributaries,  the  Presque  Isle  Stream  on  the  south  and  the  Cari- 
bou and  Limestone  streams  on  the  north,  drains  the  greater  portion 
of  the  area.  Tlie  southeastern  part  is  drained  by  Prestile  (Presque 
Isle  of  the  St.  John)  Stream  and  the  River  du  Chute  and  confluent 
streams. 

Many  small  lakes  and  ponds  occur  throughout  the  area,  but  they 
are  very  shallow  and  are  being  gradually  filled  with  s(nl  and  vegetable 
matter.  The  largest  of  these  are  Caribou,  in  Washburn  Township, 
and  Quaggy  Joe,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  that  name. 


SOIL  SURVEY   or   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,   MAINE.  7 

The  settlement  of  the  region  now  induded  within  the  limits  of 
Aroostook  County  was  begun  at  Fort  Fairfield  in  1816  by  families 
from  New  Brunswick.  A  few  years  later  the  settlement  of  Presque 
Isle  began,  and  finally  about  twenty  years  later  the  first  real  settlers 
found  their  way  to  Caribou.  It  was  not  until  the  opening  of  the 
military  road  to  Presque  Isle  in  1837  that  people  began  coming  in 
from  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  The  building  of  this  road,  coup- 
led with  the  liberal  policy  of  the  State  in  allowing  the  settlers  to  take 
up  claims  of  160  acres  and  pay  for  them  at  the  rate  of  50  cents  an  acre 
within  three  years  in  work  on  their  own  roads  at  $1 .50  per  day,  encour- 
aged immigration  and  people  came  in  more  rapidly.  The  county  was 
organized  in  1839  and  enlarged  to  its  present  dimensions  in  1843.  It 
was  made  up  of  portions  of  Washington  and  Penobscot  counties  and 
the  later  addition  was  made  from  Piscataquis  and  Somerset  counties. 
At  the  time  of  its  incorporation  the  population  numbered  approxi- 
mately 9,000  people,  mostly  French,  with  a  few  English  traders. 
After  this  the  settlement  was  very  rapid  and  the  number  of  English 
settlers  increased  rapidly. 

In  1870,  through  the  efforts  of  the  commissioners  in  the  settlement 
of  public  lands,  a  colony  of  Swedes  was  induced  to  settle  in  the 
county,  the  section  where  they  took  up  land  being  made  a  township, 
with  the  name  of  New  Sweden.  Later  in  the  same  year  and  in  suc- 
ceeding years  other  immigrants  came  to  the  colony,  and  to-day  they 
have  one  of  the  finest  farming  sections  in  the  area.  In  1890  the  popu- 
lation of  the  county  had  reached  49,589  and  in  1900  it  was  60,744 — 
a  most  remarkable  growth. 

Thus,  with  the  Swedes  in  New  Sweden,  a  large  number  of  French  in 
the  northern  part  of  Caribou  Township,  and  with  a  mixture  of  French, 
Irish,  and  English  in  other  sections,  the  population  is  somewhat 
varied.  As  indicated  by  the  appearance  of  the  buildings  and  farms 
in  general,  the  county  is  prosperous.  Nowhere  in  New  England  does 
one  find  better  farm  buildings.  The  houses  are  usually  large  and  well 
built,  the  barns  and  potato  cellars  are  substantial,  commodious,  and 
warm,  and  an  unpainted  building  is  the  exception.  The  farms  are 
equipped  with  modern  machinery,  potato  diggers,  potato  planters, 
mowers,  and  reapers.  Good  driving  horses  and  carriages  are  found 
on  almost  every  farm.  The  greater  number  of  homes  have  telephones 
and  rural  free  delivery  of  mail.  In  most  sections  roads  are  numerous 
and  as  a  rule  kept  in  excellent  repair.  Comparatively  few  of  the 
farms  are  mortgaged^  and  on  these  the  debt  is  being  rapidly  lifted, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  land  and  buildings  are  being  improved. 

During  the  greater  portion  of  the  year  nearly  all  the  streams  afford 
abundant  water  power,  which  in  many  cases  has  been  developed  to 
run  Sawmills  and  grist  mills.  With  possibly  one  or  two  exceptions 
every  village  in  the  area  has  water  power. 


8  FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS;,  1908. 

Caribou,  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  area,  on  the  Aroostook 
River,  is  probably  the  most  populous  town.  It  is  followed  closely 
by  Presque  Isle  and  Fort  Fairfield,  the  latter  being  located  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  area,  on  the  Aroostook  River,  and  the  former  12 
miles  south  of  Caribou,  on  the  Presque  Isle  Stream,  just  1  mile  south 
of  its  junction  with  the  Aroostook  River.  Other  newer  towns  which 
are  developing  very  rapidly  are  Limestone,  Easton,  Westfield,  Rob- 
insons, Bridgewater  Center,  Mars  Hill,  and  Blaine. 

The  transportation  facilities  are  exceptionally  good,  and  no  point 
in  the  area  is  more  than  8  miles  distant  from  the  railroad.  The  main 
line  is  the  Bangor  and  Aroostook  Railroad.  From  Bangor  the  line 
runs  north  to  Van  Buren,  passing  through  the  heart  of  the  potato 
section  of  Aroostook  County.  At  Fort  Fairfield  Junction  it  divides, 
the  main  line  continuing  north  through  Presque  Isle  and  Caribou, 
and  finally  reaching  the  St.  John  River  at  Van  Buren,  outside  of  the 
area.  At  Caribou  another  branch  runs  to  Limestone.  In  addition 
to  these  a  branch  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  enters  the  area 
near  Fort  Fairfield,  and  follows  the  Aroostook  River  to  Caribou, 
terminating  at  Presque  Isle. 

Boston  is  the  principal  market  for  all  crops  except  potatoes.  The 
greater  part  of  this  crop  is  sold  direct  to  buyers  at  the  local  markets, 
very  few  potatoes  being  shipped  out  of  the  area  by  farmers. 

CLIMATE. 

As  there  is  no  Weather  Bureau  station  within  Aroostook  County 
with  complete  records,  no  climatic  data  can  be  furnished  for  the  area 
surveyed. 

The  winters  are  long  and  severe,  but  the  cold  is  less  noticeable  than 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  where  the  humidity  is  considerably 
greater.  January  and  February  are  the  coldest  months,  while  July 
and  August  are  the  hottest  months.  There  is  seldom  a  winter  when 
the  thermometer  does  not  at  some  time  drop  as  low  as  —40°  F.,  but 
at  such  times  the  cold  is  not  so  noticeable,  because  the  air  is  very 
still  and  dry. 

The  summers  are  comparatively  short  and  cool,  though  brief 
periods  of  extreme  heat  and  high  humidity  occur. 

Frosts  have  been  known  to  occur  every  month  in  the  year,  but 
they  are  very  rare  in  July.  Light  frosts  in  early  June  and  the  latter 
part  of  August  are  not  uncommon,  and  killing  frosts  have  been  known 
to  occur  in  these  months. 

Snow  usually  falls  before  the  ground  freezes  in  the  fall  and  remains 
as  a  heavy  covering  throughout  the  winter.  When  it  melts  the  fol- 
lowing spring  the  waters  drain  off  rapidly  and  the  land  can  be  worked 
almost  immediately. 

The  annual  precipitation  is  fairly  well  distributed  throughout  the 
year,  although  droughts  sometimes  occur  during  the  summer  months.- 


SOIL   SUKVEY    OF   THE    CAKIBOU    AKEA,    MAINE.  9 

The  soils,  however,  withstand  these  drouglity  periods  to  a  reasonable 
dofjiec  and  crops  seldom  suffer  as  they  do  in  some  otiier  sections  of 
New  England. 

The  prevailing  winds  arc  from  the  northwest.  Easterly  winds 
from  the  coast  usually  bring  rain.  The  general  climatic  conditions 
arc  said  to  be  very  healthful,  while  the  death  rate  is  somewhat  less 
than  in  other  sections  of  New  England. 

AGRICULTURE. 

Aroostot)k  County  at  the  time  of  its  first  settlement  was  covered 
with  a  ilense  forest  of  evergreen  and  deciduous  trees.  The  former 
included  spruce,  fir,  cedar,  and  white  pine,  and  the  latter  a  great 
variety  of  species,  prominent  among  which  were  beech,  yellow  birch, 
elm,  ash,  maple,  tamarack,  white  birch,  and  poplar.  The  evergreen 
trees  then,  as  now,  were  confined  principally  to  the  low,  swampy 
lands,  while  the  hardwoods  occupied  the  ridges.  Immense  white 
pines,  however,  were  found  on  all  soils;  and  while  the  other  trees  are 
still  abundant,  this  most  valuable  tree,  which  gave  to  the  State  the 
name  "Pine  Tree  State,"  has  become  almost  extinct  within  the  area 
surveyed. 

The  first  settlers  and  lumbermen  regarded  the  white  pine  as  the 
only  tree  worth  marketing.  Later  the  value  of  the  spruce  was  recog- 
nized, and  spruce  lumber  is  now  being  shipped  out  of  the  county  in 
immense  quantities.  There  is  no  present  danger  of  exhausting  the 
supply,  however,  as  the  owners  are  following  a  more  intelligent 
system  of  cutting  than  was  employed  in  the  earlier  days  of  lumbering. 

There  are  records  showing  that  pioneers  from  New  Brunswick 
settled  at  Fort  Fairfield  as  early  as  1816,  and  at  Presque  Isle  a  few 
years  later.  They  cleared  small  tracts  of  land  along  the  Aroostook 
River  and  farmed  on  a  small  scale  during  the  summer  months,  but 
the  greater  portion  of  the  year  was  devoted  to  lumbering.  These 
settlers  were  almost  entirely  dependent  on  the  timber,  which  they 
exchanged  for  the  necessaries  of  life. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812  the  boundary  line  between  Maine 
and  New  Brunswick  was  left  unsettled,  and  there  were  border  troubles 
between  the  United  States  and  England  for  several  years  later,  which 
resulted  ultimately  in  the  building  of  the  military  road  from  Bangor 
to  Iloulton  soon  after  1830.  Later  this  road  was  extended  to  Presque 
Isle  and  Caribou.  This  was  an  important  factor  in  the  development 
of  the  region,  as  it  gave  an  outlet  to  the  markets  of  the  southern  part 
of  the  State. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  construction  of  this  highwaj^  there  were  no 

large  areas  under  cultivation.     Small  tracts  had  been  devoted  to  the 

production  of  oats,  rye,  wheat,  buckwheat,  hay,  and  potatoes,  for 

hycal  consumption.     In  fact,  practically  all  the  food,  as  well  as  cloth- 

2G971— 10 2 


10  FIELD   OPEBATIONS   OF   THE   BUEEAU    OF   SOILS,  1908. 

ing,  was  produced  on  the  farm.  There  were,  however,  a  few  larger 
tracts  of  land  which  were  devoted  during  the  summer  to  the  grazing 
of  cattle  and  sheep.  In  the  winter  these,  together  with  some  hogs, 
were  fed  from  the  grain  and  hay  produced  on  the  farm,  as  it  was  found 
much  easier  to  get  the  hay  and  grain  to  the  distant  markets  in  the 
form  of  beef,  pork,  mutton,  and  butter.  Mills  had  already  been  estab- 
lished where  the  grain  could  be  ground  for  the  stock  and  for  family  use. 

The  various  lumber  camps,  which  were  operated  in  the  county 
during  the  winter  months,  furnished  a  market  for  a  large  part  of  the 
farm  products.  The  great  number  of  men  employed  in  these  camps 
consumed  much  of  the  meat  and  many  of  the  potatoes  and  other  vege- 
tables, while  the  horses  required  almost  all  the  oats  and  hay  produced 
in  the  area. 

Pioneers  were  drifting  into  the  area  from  the  provinces  and  from 
the  southern  part  of  the  State  all  the  time,  and  the  population  in- 
creased from  3,399  in  1830  to  15,527  in  1850. 

Just  prior  to  the  civil  war  settlers  came  into  the  county  in  large 
numbers,  and  naturally  there  arose  a  great  demand  for  a  railroad 
connecting  the  county  with  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  To  aid 
in  the  establishment  of  such  a  line,  the  State  gave  township  after 
township  to  the  European  and  North  American  Railroad,  until  in 
1865,  out  of  175  townships,  only  40  remained  to  the  State.  What  was 
still  worse,  after  giving  up  all  these  lands  the  county  never  received 
any  direct  benefit,  although  it  was  doubtless  intended  by  the  legis- 
lature and  expected  by  the  people  that  the  line  should  extend  as  far 
north  as  Iloultcm. 

But  the  civil  war  put  a  stop  to  these  proceedings  and  at  the  same 
time  checked  the  development  of  the  county.  However,  after  recov- 
ering from  the  effects  of  the  war,  the  inhabitants  renewed  the  clamor 
for  a  railroad,  but  finally  despairing  of  getting  a  direct  line  to  Bangor, 
asked  the  New  Brunswick  Company,  which  was  constructing  a  line  up 
the  St.  John  Valley,  to  extend  branch  lines  to  Houlton  and  Fort 
Fairfield.  This  they  did,  completing  the  Houlton  branch  in  1862  and 
the  Presque  Isle  branch  in  1875.  In  1876  the  line  was  extended  to 
Caribou,  and  finally,  in  1881,  to  Presque  Isle.  This  road  served  the 
county  for  twenty  years,  and  although  the  line  of  shipment  was 
indirect,  it  afforded  an  outlet  for  the  products,  and  as  a  result  the 
acreage  under  cultivation  increased.  Up  to  this  time  the  type  of  agri- 
culture had  remained  practically  the  same,  the  leading  crops  being 
oats,  wheat,  buckwheat,  and  hay,  although  dairying  was  gradually 
coming  into  prominence. 

The  construction  of  the  first  starch  factory  in  1874  marks  the 
beginning  of  a  revolution  in  agriculture.  This  industry,  organized 
by  Albe  Holmes,  a  New  Hampshire  man,  is  pi'obablj^,  though  indi- 
rectly, the  outcome  of  the  building  of  a  branch  line  of  the  New 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  11 

Brunswick  Railroad  into  Ploulton  and  the  promise  of  such  a  Hne  into 
Fort  Fiiirfield,  thus  bringino:  the  reo^ion  into  better  communication 
with  the  markets.  This  industry  proved  a  success,  and  in  a  sliort 
time  other  factories  were  estabhshed  at  various  points  in  the  area 
where  farmers  woukl  contract  to  f^jrow  enouf]:li  potatoes  to  justify  the 
building  of  such  a  factory,  and. thus  the  acreage  devoted  to  potatoes 
ra})idly  increased.  It  frequently  happened  that  more  potatoes  were 
grown  than  could  be  used  at  the  starch  factories,  and  as  a  result  the 
farmei-s  began  shipping  them.  In  a  short  time  a  demand  for  Aroos- 
took potatoes  was  created,  and  under  this  stimulus  the  acreage 
showed  a  still  greater  increase,  until,  in  1891,  1,700,000  bushels  of 
potatoes  and  4,500  tons  of  starch  were  shipped  out  of  the  county. 

During  this  time  the  population  was  rapidly  increasing  and  the 
agricultural  products  were  multiplying.  As  a  result  the  clamor  for 
a  direct  route  to  Bangor  broke  out  afresh.  So  far  all  goods  that 
passed  over  the  New  Brunswick  Railroad,  now  the  Canadian  Pacific, 
had  to  be  shipped  under  manifest.  They  were  also  a  long  time  en 
route,  and  the  rates-  were  high. 

Finally  the  construction  of  the  Bangor  and  Aroostook  Railroad 
was  begun  at  Bangor  in  1893.  That  fall  it  was  completed  to  Houlton, 
and  the  following  year,  1894,  it  reached  Caribou  and  Fort  Fairfield. 

Although  the  acreage  in  potatoes  showed  a  gradual  increase,  owing 
to  the  establishment  of  the  starch  industry,  it  was  not  until  the 
opening  of  this  road,  which  brought  the  area  into  direct  communi- 
cation with  some  of  the  southern  markets,  that  the  industry  entered 
upon  its  present  era.  Since  that  time  the  potato  has  been,  still  is, 
and  probably  will  continue  to  be  the  most  profitable  crop  in  Aroostook 
County.  Each  year  large  areas  of  new  lands  are  devoted  to  this  crop. 
It  is  to  be  regretted,  however,  that  large  areas  of  good  potato  soils 
in  the  county  are  held  by  lumber  companies  or  by  individuals,  who 
refuse  to  sell  them  at  any  price,  and  who  are  content  with  the  income 
realized  from  the  lumber  that  is  being  removed.  Land  held  in  this 
way  is  bound  to  check  the  agricultural  development  of  the  county. 

Next  to  potatoes  in  importance  is  the  hay  crop,  the  acreage  of 
which  is  considerably  larger  than  that  of  potatoes.  At  one  time 
large  quantities  of  grass  and  clover  seed  were  produced  for  sale,  but 
the  practice  has  gradually  been  replaced  by  other  forms  of  industry. 
Clover  and  timothy  are  now  grown  almost  exclusively.  The  first 
crop  from  a  newly  seeded  piece  of  land  is  principally  clover,  while 
the  succeeding  crops  consist  chiefly  of  timothy.  Large  quanti- 
ties of  the  latter  are  shipped  to  Boston  markets,  and  the  income  from 
this  source  is  a  very  important  item  to  the  farmer.  The  quality  is 
excellent,  and  the  crop,  as  a  rule,  commands  a  good  price.  The 
average  yield  is  from  1  to  2  tons  per  acre,  depending,  of  course,  on 
the  condition  of  the  land. 


12  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUEEAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 

Oats  are  grown  on  almost  every  farm,  but  not  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities to  supply  the  local  demand,  and  each  jeSiT  large  quantities  are 
shipped  into  the  area.  There  seems  to  be  no  necessity  for  this,  as 
the  yield  of  oats  is  large,  the  average  being  50  bushels  per  acre,  and 
they  always  bring  a  good  price. 

AYlieat  and  rye  were  formerly  grown  by  almost  every  farmer.  At 
present,  however,  no  crops  of  the  latter  are  seen,  while  only  small 
areas  are  devoted  to  the  former  for  home  consumption.  Spring 
varieties  are  grown  almost  exclusively,  the  White  Russian  being  the 
standard.     The  usual  3'ield  is  from  25  to  30  bushels  per  acre. 

Many  of  the  farmers  have  small  fields  of  buckwheat  and  barley. 
Both  crops  do  well  on  the  soils  of  the  area.  Barley  yields  from  40 
to  50  bushels  per  acre. 

Corn  is  only  grown  in  the  garden,  as  the  season  is  too  short  for 
it  to  reach  maturity. 

In  the  early  da3^s  the  climate  was  thought  to  be  too  severe  for 
the  growing  of  apples  and  small  fruits.  About  thirty-five  years 
ago,  however,  Avhen  the  farmers  began  in  a  small  way  to  raise  a  few 
of  the  hardier  varieties  of  applies,  this  idea  was  found  to  be  erroneous. 
The  Fameuse  became  a  favorite,  and  as  it  was  early  and  matured 
rapidly  its  successful  culture  was  assured.  The  varieties  that  have 
proved  the  hardiest  and  best  suited  to  Aroostook  County  are  the 
Duchess,  tlie  Wealthy,  the  Fameuse,  and  Dudley's  Winter.  The 
townships  which  produce  the  larger  proportion  of  the  apples  are 
Presque  Isle,  Mapleton,  and  Washburn.  Blackberries,  strawberries, 
raspberries,  currants,  and  plums  can  also  be  successfully  grown,  but 
the  climate  is  too  severe  for  pears. 

Vegetable  and  truck  crops,  ^vith  the  exception  of  potatoes,  do  not 
receive  the  attention  they  should,  and  practicall}^  all  the  vegetables 
consumed  in  the  towns  are  shipped  in  from  Boston.  That  such  crops 
can  be  successfully  grown  is  shown  by  the  excellent  family  gardens, 
where  all  kinds  of  truck  products  are  found.  The  sandy  areas  along 
the  Aroostook  River  should  be  especially  well  suited  to  such  crops, 
and  on  the  muck  areas,  if  properly  drained,  onions  and  celery  should 
do  well. 

More  attention  is  being  paid  to  the  production  of  eggs  and  poultry 
than  formerly,  and  there  is  ample  opportunity  for  success  along  this 
line.  Except  for  a  short  time  in  summer,  not  enough  eggs  are  pro- 
duced to  supply  the  town  trade,  and  in  the  late  winter  and  spring 
many  chickens  and  turkeys  are  purchased  from  outside  markets  for 
home  use. 

Dairying,  which  was  at  one  time  an  important  industry  in  the  area, 
has  gradually  declined.  Formerly  several  cheese  factories,  produ- 
cing an  excellent  quality  of  cheese,  were  in  operation,  but  at  present 
none  of  these  are  in  existence.     Among  the  causes  that  have  oper- 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  13 

ated  to  bring  about  these  changes  may  be  mentioned  the  increased 
interest  in  potato  growing,  which  has  been  found  more  profitable 
and  less  confining  than  dairying.  At  present  the  only  town  in  the 
area  supporting  a  milk  route  is  Caribou,  where  there  are  two  successful 
dairy  farms.  Almost  every  farmer,  however,  keeps  at  least  one  or 
two  cows,  which  furnish  the  family  with  milk  and  butter  for  a  part 
of  the  year,  and  give  a  surplus  for  sale  during  a  part  of  the  summer. 
During  the  winter  months  creamery  butter  is  shipped  in  from  south- 
ern points.  Many  of  the  farmers,  too,  buy  butter  for  family  use. 
With  milk  selling  at  6  cents  a  quart  and  good  butter  bringing  25  to 
35  cents  a  pound,  it  would  seem  that  a  few  well-regulated  dairy  farms 
in  the  area  would  pay  handsomely. 

The  production  of  beef  and  mutton  has  fallen  off  considerably, 
although  many  farmers  still  have  some  excellent  sheep,  and  there 
are  one  or  two  fine  herds  of  beef  cattle  in  the  area.  Enough  mutton  is 
produced  to  supply  the  home  trade  and  leave  some  for  export.  The 
towns,  however,  depend  principally  on  the  West  for  their  beef  supply. 

Special  attention  is  paid  to  the  raising  of  horses,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  any  section  in  New  England  produces  finer  work  and  driving 
horses  than  are  found  in  the  area. 

The  value  of  forest  products,  while  not  large  for  the  area  surveyed, 
is  of  importance  to  the  county  as  a  whole,  the  total  value  in  1900 
being  8258,087.  Considerable  lumbering,  however,  is  carried  on  in 
the  area  during  the  winter  months,  the  lumber  being  chiefly  obtained 
from  the  swamp  land.  At  this  time  of  the  year  many  of  the  farmers 
take  their  teams  to  the  large  lumber  camps. 

Potatoes  and  grass  are  grown  on  nearly  all  the  soils,  except  the 
swamp  lands,  but  it  is  a  generally  recognized  fact  that  while  the 
black  soils  are  especially  well  suited  to  grass,  they  are  not  so  well 
adapted  to  potato  production.  It  is  also  claimed  that  the  river  soils 
are  the  best  grass  lands  in  the  area,  and  that  j^otatoes  do  better  on 
the  hardwood  ridges. 

No  single  system  of  crop  rotation  is  followed.  The  general  prac- 
tice is  to  have  a  three-course  rotation  involving  three,  four,  five,  or 
six  years.  With  this  end  in  view  three  general  systems  have  devel- 
oped, as  follows:  (1)  Potatoes  two  years,  grain  one  year,  grass  two 
years;  (2)  potatoes  one  year,  grain  one  year,  grass  two  or  three  years; 
(.3)  potatoes  one  year,  grain  one  year,  clover  one  year.  Each  of  these 
systems  has  its  advantages.  While  a  smaller  yield  of  potatoes  is 
apt  to  result  from  the  use  of  the  first  system,  many  farmers  have 
resorted  to  it  in  order  to  kill  out  the  couch  grass.  The  first  and  sec- 
ond systems  have  a  distinct  advantage  over  the  last  where  it  is 
intended  to  sell  large  quantities  of  hay.  There  is  not  much  demand 
for  clover  hay  in  the  Boston  market,  and  as  very  little  timothy 
can  be  secured  the  lii'st  year  from  seeding,  it  is  necessary  to  leave 


14  FIELD   OPEKATIONS   OF  THE   BUEEAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 

the  land  in  grass  two  or  three  years.  The  third  system  and  least 
used  should  be  the  one  most  generally  followed.  In  order  to  do 
this  successfully,  since,  as  has  been  stated,  there  is  not  much  de- 
mand for  clover  hay  outside  of  the  local  markets,  the  farmers  should 
keep  more  sheep  and  dairy  cattle  and  feed  the  greater  part  of  the 
crop  on  the  farm. 

The  farmers  all  claim,  however,  that  there  is  more  money  in  potato 
production  than  in  dairying,  and  practice  the  other  rotations  for 
this  reason.  There  is  no  apparent  necessity  for  any  decrease  in 
the  acreage  annually  devoted  to  potatoes  where  dairying  is  followed, 
as  the  two  industries  need  not  intei-fere  with  each  other.  Under 
such  a  system  of  farming  the  fertilizer  bill  could  be  greatly  decreased, 
for  with  the  large  amounts  of  stable  manure  used  as  a  top  dressing 
and  by  plowing  under  the  aftermath  that  always  springs  up  where 
a  crop  of  clover  is  removed,  the  productivity  of  the  land  would  con- 
tinually increase,  and  the  same  production  of  potatoes  could  be 
secured  from  much  smaller  areas. 

Another  distinct  advantage  this  system  has  over  the  others  is 
that  the  farmers  would  not  be  so  entirely  dependent  on  the  potato 
crop,  and  in  years  of  poor  crops,  which  are  bound  to  come  occasion- 
ally, they  at  least  would  have  the  income  from  the  dairy. 

The  absence  of  bowlders  and  the  rolling  though  not  hilly  topog- 
raphy makes  possible  the  use  of  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery,  such 
as  diggers,  planters,  mowers,  hay  loaders,  and  manure  spreaders. 
The  preparation  of  the  land  is  deep  and  thorough,  the  two-horse 
sulky  plow  being  used  in  most  cases,  although  some  farmers  still 
use  the  walking  plow.  After  plowing  in  the  fall  the  small  stones  are 
picked  up  and  thrown  into  heaps  or  used  for  filling  swampy  holes. 

In  clearing  new  land  the  trees  are  cut  and  the  timber  removed 
during  the  winter,  and  the  following  spring  the  brush  is  burned 
and  the  land  plowed  and  seeded  to  clover  and  timothy.  It  is  then 
left  from  two  to  five  years,  being  used  largely  as  pasture,  although 
some  farmers  cut  the  grass  with  a  scythe.  At  the  end  of  this  time 
the  stumps  have  rotted  sufficiently  so  that  the  smaller  ones  can  be 
pulled  by  horse  power,  while  the  larger  ones  are  blown  out  with  dyna- 
mite. The  land  is  then  planted  to  potatoes.  The  cost  of  clearing 
land  in  this  way  varies  from  $10  to  $15  an  acre,  and  can  usually 
be  paid  for  by  the  returns  from  the  timber  removed.  It  is  generally 
estimated  that  on  the  hardwood  ridges  there  is  from  1 ,000  to  2,000 
feet  per  acre  of  spruce,  which  is  the  most  valuable  timber.  In  addi- 
tion there  is  a  ready  market  for  a  limited  amount  of  the  beech  and 
bircli  for  firewood,  and  some  of  the  mills  use  large  quantities  for 
various  purposes. 

Commercial  fertilizers  are  applied  only  to  the  potato  fields,  and  large 
amounts  are  used  on  this  crop.     Very  little  attention  is  given  to 


SOIL  aUEVEY   OF    THE   OAKIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  15 

stable  manure,  and  by  the  time  it  reaches  the  lield  it  has  lost  much 
of  its  strentj:th  as  a  fertilizer.  Thus  the  productivity  of  the  soil 
depends  almost  entirely  u])on  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers. 
It  is  claimed,  however,  that  under  this  treatment  the  productivity 
of  the  land  has  i^jradually  increased,  but  whether  this  will  continue 
indefinitely  or  not  is  an  unsolved  problem. 

As  a  rule  little  difficulty  is  experienced  in  securing  efficient  labor 
when  needed.  By  the  use  of  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery  the  farm- 
ers with  large  families  have  need  of  little  hired  hel]),  except  during 
the  potato-harvesting  season,  when  large  numbers  of  laborers  come 
in  from  the  Provinces.  The  average  wage  paid  at  these  times 
ranges  from  $2  to  $2.50  a  day  with  board.  By  the  month  laborers 
command  from  $20  to  $30  with  board. 

According  to  the  census  of  1900  the  average  size  of  farms  was 
114.3  acres,  and  91.7  per  cent  of  these  were  operated  by  the  owners, 
the  remainder  being  rented.  On  the  rented  farms  the  share  and  cash 
tenants  are  about  evenly  divided.  Where  land  is  rented  on  shares 
the  owner  and  tenant  each  receive  one-half  the  crop,  (^asli  rents 
run  from  $10  to  $25  an  acre,  depending  on  -the  nearness  to  market 
and  the  condition  of  the  farm. 

The  value  of  farm  lands  has  tripled  in  the  last  twelve  or  fifteen 
years,  and  instances  are  not  uncommon  where  farms  have  sold  for 
ten  times  what  they  brought  twelve  years  ago.  The  greater  j)art  of 
the  cleared  ridge  land,  with  improvements,  sells  for  about  $100  an  acre. 

It  is  recommeniled  that  better  care  be  taken  of  the  stable  manure. 
If  it  were  kept  under  cover  until  hauled  to  the  field,  and  if  the  straw 
and  rubbish,  instead  of  being  burned,  as  is  commonly  done,  were 
incorporated  with  the  manure,  the  fertilizing  value  of  the  manure 
would  be  greatly  increased.  The  adoption  of  a  three-year  rotation 
and  the  keeping  of  more  live  stock  would  doubtless  prove  a  very 
satisfactory  system  of  farming.  Under  such  a  i)lan  the  fertilizer 
bill  could  be  greatly  reduced.  Tliis  could  also  be  accomplished  to  a 
certain  extent  if  the  home  mixture  of  fertilizers  were  more  generally 
practiced. 

THE    POTATO    INDUSTRY. 

The  crop  of  paramount  importance  in  this  area,  ami  the  one  to 
which  more  and  more  attention  is  being  given,  is  the  potato.  From 
a  very  small  beginning,  when  the  first  settlers  planted  a  few  for 
home  consumption,  the  production  has  increased  until  in  1908,  after 
a  lapse  of  a  period  of  eighty  years,  the  estimated  crop  of  the  county 
is  16,000,000  bushels,  a  large  proportion  of  which  was  j)roduced  in 
the  area  surveyed.  As  has  been  stated,  the  introduction  of  the 
starch  factory  gave  the  first  great  impetus  to  this  industry.  This 
brought  the  farmers  to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  large  yields  of 
an  excellent  quality  were  obtainable.     The  small  sliipments  at  first 


16  FIELD   OPERATIONS    OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  1908. 

made  gradually  increased,  and  with  the  opening  up  of  a  direct  rail- 
road line  in  1894  the  acreage  in  potatoes  was  rapidly  extended. 

The  prominence  of  this  area  as  a  potato  section  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  farmers  have  taken  advantage  of  natural  conditions  and 
improved  the  opportunities  for  growing  this  particular  crop.  Here 
the  soil  in  every  way  is  especially  suited  to  potatoes.  It  consists 
of  a  hazel-brown  silty  loam  containing  many  small  fragments  of 
shale  and  other  rocks.  At  a  depth  of  3  to  6  feet  this  is  underlain  by 
a  calcareous  shale  wliich  has  been  mingled  more  or  less  with  the  other 
soil  material.  The  soil  has  excellent  underdrainage,  so  the  crop  sel- 
dom suffers  from  an  excess  of  moisture,  while  on  the  other  hand  it 
will  stand  a  long  period  of  dry  weather  with  little  if  any  injury  to  the 
crop.  Furthermore,  the  climate  is  conducive  to  a  quick  and  healthy 
growth  of  the  crop;  but  with  everything  that  is  desirable  in  the  way 
of  soil,  drainage,  and  climate  it  would  be  impossible  to  produce  large 
crops  unless  ])roperly  managed,  and  the  farmers  as  a  rule  practice 
up-to-date  methods  in  cultivation,  harvesting,  and  handling  of  the 
crop.  No  systematic  rotation  is  closely  adhered  to,  but  the  general 
plan  is  as  follows:  Potatoes,  one  or  two  years;  grain,  usually  oats,  one 
year;  and  grass,  one,  two,  or  three  years.  Owing  to  the  short  grow- 
ing season  it  is  essential  that  the  land  be  plowed  in  the  fall  in  order 
that  planting  may  be  done  at  the  first  op]:)ortunity  in  the  spring.  On 
account  of  the  deep  covering  of  snow  there  is  little  if  any  frost  in  the 
ground,  so  it  is  possible  to  start  farm  work  almost  as  soon  as  the  snow 
melts  in  the  spring.  The  land  is  then  harrowed  two  or  three  times 
with  a  spring-tooth  harrow.  The  potatoes  are  planted  as  soon  as  the 
weather  will  permit,  which  is  usually  about  the  10th  of  May,  with 
some  improved  type  of  planter.  They  are  always  planted  in  drills 
2  feet  10  inches  apart,  the  seed  being  1  foot  apart  in  the  drill.  Even 
with  the  most  thorough  preparation  of  the  land  the  yield  from 
machine-planted  fields  is  from  one-fourth  to  one-third  less  than  the 
same  field  planted  by  hand.  This  is  due  to  the  number  of  skips  caused 
by  the  failure  of  the  seed  to  sprout  for  one  reason  or  another.  How- 
ever, where  large  areas  are  planted  hand  work  is  not  practicable. 
For  seed  the  potatoes  are  nearly  always  cut,  the  rate  of  seeding  being 
from  4  to  5  barrels  per  acre.  The  varieties  planted  vary  with  the 
section,  but  the  three  most  generally  grown  are  the  Green  Mountain, 
Red  Bliss,  and  Irish  Cobbler. 

Large  amounts  of  high-grade  fertilizers  are  used,  the  applications 
ranging  from  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  per  acre.  vSpecial  mixtures  of 
fertilizers  are  used,  4-6-10,«  5-7-10,  and  6-8-10  being  the  usual 
formulas.  The  entire  amount  is  applied  at  the  time  of  planting, 
although  experiments  have  shown  that  the  yield  can  be  increased  by 

« In  lliis  and  the  following  formulas  the  ingredients  are  given  in  the  order  N ,  PoOj, 
and  K.,0. 


SOIL  SUKVEY   VF   THE   CAKIBOU   AKEA,    MAINE.  17 

applying  a  part  of  this  fertilizer  at  the  time  of  planting  and  the 
remainder  at  the  first  two  cultivations.  Home-mixed  fertilizers 
are  never  used,  as  the  farmers  claim  that  they  have  not  the  time  to 
do  the  mixing  and  that  there  is  frequently  diflficulty  in  securing  the 
ingredients. 

Very  little  account  is  taken  of  stable  manure  for  the  potato  crop. 
It  is  very  important  where  manure  is  used  that  it  be  applied  as  a  top 
dressing  to  the  grass  land  after  the  hay  crop  has  been  removed,  as  it 
is  almost  certain  to  produce  rot  if  used  directly  on  the  potato  land. 
If  the  land  becomes  too  w^eedy  before  the  potato  sprouts  appear 
above  ground  a  weeder  is  used.  As  soon  as  the  plant  breaks  through 
the  surface  the  double-shovel  plow  is  brought  into  use.  This  throws 
the  dirt  over  the  young  plants,  covering  them  to  a  depth  of  1  inch, 
thus  protecting  them  against  late  frosts  and  at  the  same  time  killing 
the  weeds.  After  this  the  crop  receives  three  or  four  cultivations  with 
a  walking  or  riding  cultivator,  and  immediately  following  such 
cultivations  the  land  is  gone  over  with  a  double-shovel  plow,  throw- 
ing the  soil  in  ridges  around  the  plants.  Level  cultivation  has  been 
tried  with  success,  but  most  of  the  farmers  claim  that  diggers  will 
not  do  satisfactory  w^ork  unless  the  potatoes  are  ridged. 

The  only  w^eed  that  gives  any  trouble  is  couch  grass.  In  diy 
seasons  this  weed  bothers  very  little,  but  in  wet  seasons  persistent 
and  judicious  cultivation  is  required  to  keep  it  down. 

As  is  the  case  in  most  other  sections,  the  greatest  problem  that 
the  farmers  have  to  contend  with  in  growing  the  potato  is  the  blight, 
which,  unless  kept  in  check,  greatly  reduces  the  yield.  As  a  rule, 
however,  the  farmers  are  able  to  control  the  disease,  and  almost  all 
the  growers  spray  the  vines.  Bordeaux  mixture  is  used,  the  usual 
formula  being  5  pounds  of  lime  and  5  pounds  of  copper  sulphate  to 
50  gallons  of  w'ater.  The  solution  is  put  on  with  a  power  sprayer 
which  covers  six  row^s  at  a  time  and  is  applied  every  two  or  three 
weeks  until  the  tops  stop  growing.  About  50  gallons  is  required  for 
an  acre.  Some  of  the  smaller  farmers  still  use  the  barrel  spray  hauled 
by  horse  and  worked  by  manual  labor.  As  a  rule  the  Colorado 
beetle  does  not  give  much  trouble,  but  when  they  do  appear  they  are 
killed  by  mixing  2^  pounds  of  Paris  green  to  2  barrels  of  Bordeaux. 
Many  farmers  apply  the  Paris  green  in  powder  form  with  a  blower, 
but  the  method  first  mentioned  is  more  satisfactoiy  and  at  the  same 
time  saves  considerable  labor. 

The  harvesting  of  the  early  varieties  begins  as  soon  as  the  potatoes 
have  attained  a  marketable  size,  w^hich  is  usuaJly  about  the  20th  of 
August,  and  continues  with  the  later  varieties  through  September  and 
well  into  October.  All  the  digging  is  done  with  a  mechanical  digger 
drawn  by  two  or  three  horses.  With  this  machine  from  4  to  6  acres 
can  be  dug  in  a  day  and  from  8  to  16  hands  are  required  to  pick  up. 
26971—10 3 


18  FIELD   OPEEATIOKS   OF   THE   BUEEAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 

The  cost  of  producing  a  barrel  of  potatoes  varies  from  55  to  75  cents. 
The  yield  of  course  depends  somewhat  on  the  soil,  but  the  average 
is  probably  about  75  to  85  barrels  per  acre.  In  good  years,  however, 
100  to  125  barrels  is  not  an  uncommon  yield  on  the  better  farms, 
while  150  and  160  barrels  are  frequently  reported. 

A  part  of  the  crop  is  sold  directly  from  the  field,  but  at  the  time  of 
harvesting  many  of  the  farmers  are  too  busy  to  haul  their  potatoes 
to  market,  so  they  have  constructed  potato  cellars  in  which  the 
greater  part  of  the  late  crop  is  stored.  These  cellars  are  made  with 
cement  walls ;  only  the  roof  is  above  ground  and  special  attention  is 
given  to  ventilation.  The  potatoes  may  be  kept  here  w^ithout  danger 
of  freezing  except  in  the  coldest  weather,  when  small  fires  are  built. 
Later  in  the  season,  when  the  fall  work  is  done,  the  potatoes  are 
carted  to  the  towns,  where  they  are  sold  to  buyers  who  ship  them 
directly  or  else  store  them  in  the  large  warehouses  with  which  each 
town  is  supplied.  Taken  together,  these  storehouses  hold  thousands 
of  bushels,  and  here  the  crop  is  held  and  distributed  whenever  and 
wherever  the  dealer  sees  fit.  Through  the  introduction  of  the  Eastman 
heater  car  it  has  become  possible  to  ship  potatoes  even  in  the  coldest 
weather  without  danger  of  freezing.  These  dealers  buy  only  the 
merchantable  tubers  which  are  sold  for  table  use  or  for  seed  purposes. 
The  former  comprise  by  far  the  larger  proportion  of  the  crop.  The 
price  ranges  from  $1  to  $2  a  barrel,  depending  on  the  quahty  of  the 
crop  and  the  supply  in  other  sections. 

The  production  of  potatoes  for  seed  purposes  is  quite  an  important 
industry  in  some  sections  of  the  area,  and  each  year  a  number  of 
buyers  from  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  New  Jersey,  Long  Island,  and 
other  potato-growing  sections  to  the  south  come  here  to  obtain  seed 
stock.  Many  of  the  farmers  grow  potatoes  with  this  end  in  view  and 
sell  direct  to  these  buyers.  In  many  cases  the  dealers  contract  with 
the  farmers  to  raise  a  certain  number  of  barrels  at  a  stated  price,  the 
dealers  often  furnishing  the  seed  for  the  crop  in  order  to  keep  it  pure. 
The  price  obtained  for  these  potatoes  is  about  the  same  as  for  table 
potatoes. 

All  the  unmerchantable  and,  in  times  when  the  market  price  is 
exceptionally  low,  many  of  the  merchantable  tubers  are  disposed  of 
at  the  starch  factories,  of  which  there  are  a  large  number  operating 
in  the  area.  The  average  capacity  of  a  factory  is  75,000  bushels 
during  the  usual  working  season,  which  is  from  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember to  the  middle  of  November.  On  the  average,  200  bushels  of 
potatoes  make  a  ton*  of  starch.  The  process  is  quite  simple.  The 
factories  are  located  on  a  clear  stream  of  water  and  consist  of  store- 
houses, a  building  with  steam  power  machinery  for  washing  and 
grating  the  potatoes,  and  a  building  for  drying.  The  potatoes  are 
washed  thoroughly,  then  grated,  the  pulp  falling  on  large  wire  sieves. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  19 

Clear  water  is  turned  on  and  washes  the  starch  out  of  the  pulp,  carry- 
ing it  through  the  sieve  into  a  large  vat.  When  the  vat  is  full  of 
water  holding  starch  in  solution,  it  is  allowed  to  stand  twenty-four 
hours,  when  the  starch  has  settled  to  the  bottom.  Only  a  portion  of 
the  starch  is  clear.  This  clear  starch  is  removed,  while  the  residue 
undergoes  a  second  washing.  After  two  or  three  washings  the  starch 
is  taken  to  the  drying  house,  where  it  is  dried  by  means  of  steam  pipes. 
It  is  then  barreled  and  sold  to  cotton  manufactories,  where  it  is  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  cloth.  The  average  price  paid  for  the 
potatoes  that  are  convertible  into  starch  is  40  to  50  cents  a  barrel. 

SOILS. 

During  the  Glacial  epoch  all  of  Maine  was  covered  with  a  slowly 
moving  sheet  of  ice  of  great  thickness.  This  mass,  by  crushing  and 
grinding,  rounded  off  the  ridges  and  filled  in  the  valleys  with  trans- 
ported material.  As  the  ice  melted  it  left  an  unassorted  mass  of 
coarse  and  fine  material  over  the  entire  region.  The  lower  till,  or 
that  carried  beneath  the  ice,  remains  as  a  very  compact  grayish  silty 
layer  containing  many  rounded  stones  in  great  variety,  with  some 
coarse  gravel  and  shale  fragments.  Resting  upon  this  is  a  stratum 
which  was  carried  upon  and  within  the  ice  sheet,  and  this  is  known 
as  the  upper  till.  This  in  places  contains  a  large  number  of  small, 
rounded  stones,  wliile  in  others  it  is  comparatively  free  from  them. 
It  is  much  darker  in  color  and  more  friable  than  the  lower  till,  the 
difference  probably  having  been  brought  about  by  differences  in 
degree  of  oxidation  and  by  the  greater  amounts  of  organic  matter 
in  the  upper  till,  as  a  result  of  the  growth  and  decay  of  plants.  The 
depth  of  the  upper  till  varies  from  1  to  3  feet,  although  in  a  few  cases 
it  is  apparently  absent.  At  the  close  of  the  Glacial  epoch  the  land 
is  believed  to  have  subsided,  and  the  climate  to  have  become 
warmer.  At  this  time  the  Aroostook  Valley  was  partly  filled  and 
swift  flowing  streams  laid  down  the  second  terraces.  Then  followed 
an  elevation  of  the  country  and  the  stream  continued  cutting  its 
channel  until  the  present  level  was  reached,  where  the  first  bottoms 
or  last  terraces  are  still  in  the  process  of  formation.  These  two  ter- 
races are  the  only  ones  that  show  along  the  Aroostook  River. 

The  soils  in  Aroostook  County  are  thus  of  glacial  origin,  being  de- 
rived from  glacial  debris  as  originally  deposited  or  from  similar  mate- 
rial modified  to  some  extent  by  water  agencies.  Since  deposition 
these  soils  have  undergone  some  very  important  changes  through  the 
influence  of  weathering  and  as  a  result  of  the  growth  and  decay  of 
plants.  These  processes  have  in  most  cases  changed  the  surface  1  or 
2  feet  from  a  compact  gray  soil  to  a  friable  yellow  loam. 

Unlike  most  glacial  soils,  these  soils  give  evidence  of  having  been 
transported  but  a  short  distance  and  have  in  most  cases  been  derived 


20  FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE   BUEEAU   OF   SOILS,   1908. 

from  the  underlying  rock  or  from  a  similar  rock  a  short  distance  to  the 
north.  The  rock  from  wliich  the  most  of  these  soils  are  derived  is  the 
shaly  Aroostook  limestone.  Tliis  rock  is  found  at  depths  ranging 
from  a  few  inches  to  25  or  30  feet,  the  average  being  from  2  to  6  feet, 
although  small  areas  of  outcrop  are  frequently  encountered.  There 
are,  however,  small  bodies  in  the  Aroostook  volcanic  area,  underlain 
by  other  rocks  of  which  small  outcrops  also  occur.  Such  rocks  are 
the  conglomerate  and  diabase  of  Mars  Hill,  the  Mapleton  conglom- 
erates, sandstones,  and  granites;  the  Chapman  sandstones;  the  tra- 
chytes of  Edmund  and  Hobart  Hill;  and  the  quartz-trachytes  of  the 
Quaggy  Joe  region.  Of  these  the  only  ones  that  have  influenced  the 
character  of  the  soil  to  any  noticeable  degree  are  the  sandstones  and 
conglomerate,  which,  where  they  are  near  the  surface,  not  only  change 
the  texture  but  also  the  color  of  the  overlying  material.  In  addition, 
there  is  a  small  area  in  Chapman  and  Mapleton  townships  underlain 
by  arenaceous  limestones,  a  belt  of  which  extends  nearly  north  and 
south  just  outside  and  to  the  west  of  the  area.  The  area  as  a  whole 
is  remarkably  free  from  large  glacial  bowlders,  although  occasionally 
one  may  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  survey,  while  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  where  outcroppings  occur  bowlders  are  very  abundant. 

Twelve  distinct  soil  types  have  been  recognized  and  mapped  in 
the  area.  According  to  topography,  these  may  be  divided  into  two 
general  groups — those  derived  from  unmodified  drift,  or  upland  soils, 
and  those  derived  from  modified  drift,  or  lowland  soils.  Of  the  latter 
four  types  were  recognized.  The  other  and  the  most  important  group 
includes  all  the  other  soils.  Wlien  classified  according  to  origin,  the 
soils  fall  into  three  groups — alluvial  soils,  including  those  which  are 
at  present  in  the  process  of  formation  and  those  formed  before  the 
river  had  cut  its  present  level;  glacial  soils,  representing  the  sheet  of 
unmodified  drift  which  covers  the  greater  part  of  the  area;  and,  finally, 
the  organic  soils,  which  have  resulted  from  the  accumulation  and  de- 
cay of  plants  and  trees.  In  most  cases  these  groups  have  been  sub- 
divided into  classes,  such  as  silts,  loams,  silt  loams,  and  sandy  loams, 
according  to  their  texture  as  determined  by  mechanical  analyses  of 
typical  samples.  These  classes  have  further  been  divided  into  types 
and  grouped  in  series  where  the  similarity  in  origin,  color,  topography, 
and  agricultural  value  was  sufficient  to  warrant  such  a  grouping. 

Following  such  a  plan,  those  soils  derived  from  unmodified  glacial 
drift  have  been  separated  into  eight  distinct  types.  The  similarity 
in  four  of  these  types  was- sufficient  to  warrant  the  grouping  of  them 
in  the  Caribou  series.  These  are  the  Caribou  loam.  Caribou  stony 
loam.  Caribou  gravelly  loam,  and  Caribou  silt  loam.  The  other  four 
types — Easton  loam,  Mapleton  gravelly  loam,  Washburn  loam,  and 
Chapman  loam — were  ])laced  in  separate  series. 

Those  soils  derived  from  modifietl  glacial  drift  have  been  separated 
into  three  types  representing  the  Aroostook  series.     These  are  Aroos- 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAI^:E. 


21 


took  silt  loam,  Aroostook  sandy  loam,  and  Aroostook  loam.  Of  these 
the  Aroostook  silt  loam  is  the  most  important  type.  None  of  them, 
however,  cover  any  great  area. 

Under  the  organic  soils  there  is  one  t}-pe — Muck.  This  type  has 
resulted  from  the  decay  of  vegetable  matter  which  has  become  mixed 
with,  soil  washed  in  from  adjacent  slopes. 

The  larger  number  of  these  types  are  very  productive,  and  wnththe 
exception  of  the  Caribou  stony  loam  and  Muck  areas  admit  of  the  use 
of  any  kind  of  labor-saving  macliinery. 

The  following  table  gives  the  actual  and  relative  extent  of  each  of 
the  soil  types: 

Areas  of  different  soils. 


Soil.                           Acres. 

Per  cent. 

Soil.                           Acres.     Per  cent. 

220, 672 

65.1 
16.3 
8.1 
3.0 
2.6 
1.6 
1.1 

Muck  

55,2% 
27,648 
10, 176 
9,024 
5,504 

Aroostook  silt  loam                           2, 432  ■                7 

Chapman  loam 

Aroostook  sand  V  loam               1           960                  3 

Mapletou  gravelly  loam 192                .1 

Aroostook  loam 64  i              .1 

Easton  loam 

AN'ashburn  loam . . 

Caribou  gravelly  loam . . . 

3,904 

Total 3.39,200  : 

CARIBOU    LOAM. 


The  Caribou  loam,  to  an  average  depth  of  10  inches,  consists  of  a 
hazel-brown  silty  loam.  Beneath  this  is  a  yellow  silty  loam  of  about 
the  same  texture,  which  ranges  in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  to  2 
feet,  where  it  rests  on  the  gray  or  grayish-3-ellow  silty  loam  of  the 
lower  till.  In  places  this  lower  till  comes  within  a  few  inches  of  the 
surface,  in  which  case  the  yellow  stratum  is  lacking.  Small  rounded 
stones,  consisting  of  sandstone,  gneiss,  granite,  and  quartzite,  are 
found  in  both  the  soil  and  subsoil,  but  are  more  numerous  in  the 
latter.  In  many  cases,  especially  in  the  northern  part  of  the  area, 
these  stones  are  so  numerous  that  it  is  impossible  to  bore  to  depths 
greater  than  15  to  20  inches.  Along  many  of  the  stream  slopes  small 
stones  are  so  abundant  as  to  give  the  soil  the  appearance  of  a  gravelly 
loam,  although  the  texture  of  the  interstitial  material  is  little  differ- 
ent from  the  rest  of  the  tj'pe.  Almost  the  entire  type  is  underlain 
at  a  depth  ranging  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  by  a  calcareous 
shale,  many  small  fragments  of  which  are  distributed  throughout 
the  soil  and  subsoil.  These  fragments  are  especially  numerous  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  area,  where  the  rock  as  a  rule  is  somewhat 
nearer  the  surface.  Small  outcropping  areas  of  these  rocks  have 
been  designated  on  the  map  by  symbol.  In  virgin  forests  there  is 
usually  a  thin  layer  of  a  white  floury  silt  just  beneath  the  covering 
of  the  leaf  mold. 


22  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUEEAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 

As  mapped  the  type  includes  many  small  depressions  of  Easton 
loam  and  Washburn  loam.  That  part  of  the  type  along  the  slopes 
of  the  northern  half  of  Mars  Hill  is  somewhat  darker  in  color  and  con- 
tains more  moisture.  A  freshly  plowed  field  of  Caribou  loam  presents 
a  mottled  appearance,  showing  white,  browTi,  and  black  areas. 

As  a  rule  the  soil  is  friable,  free  from  large  bowlders,  well  drained, 
and  seldom  bakes,  thus  rendering  the  use  of  all  kinds  of  improved  farm 
machinery  both  easy  and  profitable. 

The  Caribou  loam  occurs  in  all  parts  of  the  area  as  practically  one 
continuous  body,  dissected  by  strips  and  small  areas  of  other  types. 
In  the  low  country  around  Mars  Hill  it  gives  w^ay  to  the  Caribou  silt 
loam,  a  similar  soil  in  every  respect,  though  containing  about  10  per 
cent  more  silt.  The  townships  containing  the  greatest  proportion 
and  the  most  typical  bodies  of  the  type  are  Limestone,  Presque  Isle, 
Easton,  Fort  Fairfield,  and  Caribou. 

This  is  an  upland  type  occupying  the  swells  and  ridges  and  extend- 
ing down  the  stream  slopes  nearly  or  quite  to  the  streams.  Its  posi- 
tion insures  good  surface  drainage,  while  the  compactness  of  the 
subsoil  aids  in  making  the  soil  retentive  of  moisture.  The  type 
witlistands  long  dry  periods  to  a  remarkable  degree. 

The  Caribou  loam  is  glacial  in  origin,  having  been  derived  from 
unmodified  drift.  The  soil  gives  evidence  of  having  been  trans- 
ported but  a  short  distance  and  has  originated  from  the  underlying 
Aroostook  limestone.  The  upper  bright-yellow  layer  is  that  part 
borne  in  and  on  the  ice,  while  the  grayish  compact  material  was 
carried  beneath  the  ice. 

The  native  vegetation  consists  of  hardwoods,  as  maple,  ash,  yellow 
birch,  and  beech,  with  a  scattering  growth  of  spruce  and  fir.  At  one 
time  white  pine  abounded  on  this  type,  but  this  has  long  since 
disappeared. 

All  farm  crops  do  well  on  this  soil,  and  it  produces  by  far  the  greater 
part  of  the  potatoes  grown  in  the  area.  It  seems  especially  adapted 
to  potatoes,  and  to  grass  and  all  kinds  of  grain,  vegetables,  and 
fruits.  The  yield  of  potatoes  depends  on  the  variety  grown  and  the 
attention  given  the  crop.  The  average  probably  runs  from  80  to  85 
barrels.  In  good  years,  however,  as  many  as  150  barrels  per  acre 
have  been  reported,  whUe  100  barrels  is  not  at  all  uncommon.  Hay 
yields  from  1  to  1^  tons,  oats  50  bushels,  wheat  25  to  30  bushels,  and 
barley  40  to  50  bushels  per  acre. 

Cultural  methods  do  not  differ  from  those  given  other  soils.  The 
rotation  is  potatoes  one  or  two  years;  oats  one  year;  grass  one,  two, 
or  three  years.  If  this  rotation  were  shortened  and  more  stock  kept, 
the  soil  could  be  improved  and  the  fertilizer  bill  reduced.  The 
fertilizer  application  is  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  per  acre. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE. 


23 


The  best  farms  in  the  area  are  located  on  the  Caribou  loam.  The 
greater  part  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation  and  the  remainder  is 
being  rapidly  cleared.  Timbered  areas  sell  for  $12  to  $15,  while  the 
cultivated  land  brings  from  $75  to  SlOO  an  acre  with  improvements, 
the  price  depending  somewhat  on  nearness  to  market. 

Average  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  fine-earth  samples  of 
soil  and  subsoil  are  given  in  the  following  table : 
Mechanical  analyses  of  Caribou  loam. 


Number. 

Descrip- 
tion. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium        Fine 
sand.         sand. 

i 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

18688,19609,19611... 
18689,19610,19612... 

Soil 

Subsoil — 

Per  cent.  ■  Per  cent. 
3.0             8.5 
4.2  i           8.9 

Per  cent. 
4.0 
4.1 

Per  cent. 
11.0 
10.0 

Per  cent. 
10.0 
9.4 

Per  cent. 
50.9 
40.9 

Percent. 
10.5 
15.8 

C.\RIBOU    SILT   LOAM. 


The  Caribou  silt  loam  consists  of  10  inches  of  a  3'ellowish-brown  to 
hazel-brown  silt  loam,  underlain  by  a  brighter  yellow  silty  loam  which 
may  continue  throughout  the  limits  of  the  soil  profile  or  else  pass  into 
the  grayish  silty  loam  of  the  lower  till  in  the  lower  depths.  This  in 
turn  is  underlain  at  depths  ranging  from  1  to  several  feet  by  a 
calcareous  shale.  Many  small  shale  fragments  and  a  few  small  stones 
are  found  in  both  soil  and  subsoil,  but  the  latter  are  much  less  abun- 
dant than  in  the  other  soils  of  the  area.  Unlike  the  condition  in 
the  other  soil  types,  nearly  all  of  the  stones  in  the  silt  loam  subsoil 
are  fragments  of  Aroostook  limestone.  Similar  fragments  occur  in 
the  surface  soil,  but  there  are  also  a  few  fragments  of  foreign  origin. 
The  type  is  so  similar  to  and  changes  into  the  Caribou  loam  so  gradu- 
ally that  at  times  the  separation  of  these  types  becomes  very  difficult. 
The  Caribou  silt  loam,  however,  contains  fewer  stones  and  runs  a 
little  higher  in  silt  content.  As  the  type  is  well  drained  and  contains 
comparatively  few  stones,  it  is  very  easily  cultivated. 

The  type  occurs  in  four  bodies,  ranging  in  size  from  one-fourth  to 
several  square  miles  in  extent,  in  the  townships  of  Easton,  Mars  Hill, 
Blaine,  and  Bridge  water.  The  largest  body  is  found  in  that  part  of 
the  valley  of  the  Prestile  Stream  and  its  branches  lying  between 
the  villages  of  Mars  Hill  and  Bridgewater  Center.  It  occurs  on 
ridges,  slopes,  and  as  flat  areas.  The  elevation  as  a  whole  is  some- 
what less  than  that  of  the  Caribou  loam. 

At  present  practically  all  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation.  The 
virgin  forests  consisted  of  such  hardwoods  as  beech,  yellow  birch,  and 
maple,  with  a  sprinkling  of  spruce  and  fir. 

Like  the  Caribou  loam,  this  soil  is  noted  for  the  yield  and  quality 
of  its  potatoes.  The  yields  range  from  75  to  85  barrels,  although 
in  exceptional  cases  as  high  as  140  barrels  per  acre  may  be  secured. 


24 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 


Grass,  grain,. fruit,  and  vegetables  do  well.  Hay  yields  from  1  to 
Ih  tons  and  oats  about  50  bushels.  The  cultural  methods  do  not 
differ  from  those  employed  on  other  types,  and  the  fertilizer  applica- 
tion is  about  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  to  the  acre. 

As  most  of  the  type  is  conveniently  located  as  to  markets,  the  land 
with  improvements  sells  on  the  average  for  about  $100  an  acre. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  fine-earth  samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Caribou  silt  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

19320,  19G19 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
2.8 
3.4 

Per  cent. 
6.7 
7.5 

Per  cent. 
2.7 
2.6 

Per  cent. 
6.3 
6.4 

Per  cent. 
8.5 
12.2 

Per  cent. 
52.4 
46.4 

Per  cent. 
20.9 

19321,19620 

Subsoil 

21.3 

CARIBOU    STONY   LOAM. 


In  its  typical  development  the  Caribou  stony  loam  consists  of  8 
inches  of  a  yellowish-brown  silty  loam,  underlain  by  a  yellowish- 
gray  silty  loam  which  persists  throughout  the  limits  of  the  soil  pro- 
file or  until  the  underlying  rock  is  encountered.  That  part  of  the 
type  found  on  Mars  Hill  is  somewhat  more  gravelly  than  the  typical 
soil  and  has  a  reddish  cast.  Small  areas  of  a  similar  soil  were  also 
encountered  on  Hobart  Hill.  On  Green  Mountain  the  soil  consists 
of  a  shallow  mantle  of  the  yellow  till,  covered  by  a  deep  vegetable 
mold  and  underlain  by  quartz-trachyte.  As  mapped,  the  type 
includes  small  rock  outcrop  areas  of  conglomerates  and  diabase  on 
Mars  Hill,  andesite  on  Hobart  and  Edmund  hills,  and  of  quartz- 
trachyte  on  Quaggy  Joe  and  Green  Mountain.  In  all  cases  the 
slopes  are  strewn  with  large  glacial  bowlders  of  granite,  gneiss, 
trachyte,  andesite,  and  conglomerates.  Because  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  glacial  bowlders,  ths  shallowness  of  the  soil,  and  the  steep 
slopes,  the  type  is  rather  difficult  to  cultivate. 

The  Caribou  stony  loam  is  found  in  bodies  varying  in  size  from  a 
few  acres  to  1  square  mile  or  more,  and  is  confined  entirely  to  that 
part  of  the  survey  south  of  Presque  Isle  in  what  is  known  as  the 
Aroostook  volcanic  area.  The  largest  area,  2^  miles  long  by  1  mile 
wide,  is  just  east  of  Mars  Hill  village  and  comprises  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  hill  of  that  name.  The  next  most  important  area  occurs 
as  a  narrow  belt  along  the  range  of  mountains,  of  which  Quaggy  Joe 
and  Green  Mountain  are  the  most  important  peaks.  Tliis  body 
is  about  one-fourth  mile  wide  and  extends  in  a  nearly  north  and 
south  direction  for  3  miles.  In  addition  there  is  a  smaller  area  on 
Hobart  Hill  in  Chapman  and  Mapleton  townships  and  one  in  the 
western  part  of  Bridge  water.  All  other  areas  mapped  are  of  minor 
importance. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF    THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  25 

As  the  type,  without  exception,  occupies  high  ridges,  peaks,  and 
steep  slopes,  the  drainage  is  very  thorough  and  would  probably  be 
excessive  if  the  forest  growth  were  nuuoved. 

The  Caribou  stony  loam  is  derived  from  glacial  till,  but  in  some 
cases  has  since  been  changed  by  the  decomposition  of  the  under- 
lying rock  or  by  accumulations  of  organic  matter.  The  character- 
istic forest  growth  consists  of  yellow  birch,  beech,  and  maple,  with  a 
sprinkling  of  spruce  and  fir. 

None  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation.  \Vliile  the  glacial  bowlders 
might  easily  be  removed  from  most  of  the  area,  yet  owing  to  the 
shallo^^^less  of  the  soil  and  steepness  of  the  slopes,  it  is  best  that  they 
remain  in  forest  as  at  present  or  else  be  used  for  ptisturage. 

The  value  of  the  Caribou  stony  loam  depends  almost  entirely  on 
the  timber  growth  and  ranges  from  $2  to  SS  an  acre. 

CARIBOU    GRAVELLY   LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Caribou  gravelly  loam  consists  of  a  gravelly  loam 
containing  a  high  percentage  of  silt  and  varying  in  color  from  a  yel- 
lowish brown  to  a  dark-chocolate  brown,  being  much  darker  when 
wet  than  when  dry.  At  10  inches  this  grades  into  a  bright  yellow 
gravelly  loam  containing  somewhat  more  gravel  and  small  stones 
than  the  soil.  Underlying  this  at  a  depth  of  about  20  inches  there 
is  usually  a  dark-colored  coarse  gravel,  although  in  a  few  cases  there 
is  a  compact  yellowish-gray  gravellj''  loam,  which  corresponds  to  the 
lower  till  of  the  Caribou  loam,  overl3ang  the  gravel.  Sectional  expo- 
sures show  this  dark  gravel  stratum  to  vary  in  depth  from  1  to  3  feet, 
beneath  which  are  several  distinct  though  somewhat  irregular  strata 
of  coarse  sand,  gravelly  sand,  and  medium  sand.  Both  soil  and 
subsoil  contain  from  40  to  50  per  cent  of  rounded  and  angular  glacial 
gravel  from  one-fourth  of  an  inch  to  4  inches  in  diameter. 

A  freshly  plowed  field  has  a  decidedly  mottled  appearance,  having 
small  patches  of  blackish  and  whitish  soil  mingled  with  the  various 
shades  of  brown  and  yellow  as  the  predt)niinating  colors.  The  soil  is 
very  mellow,  and  although  there  are  many  small  stones  only  a  few 
are  large  enough  to  offer  any  resistance  to  the  plow  or  cultivator. 

The  Caribou  gravelly  loam  is  found  in  all  })arts  of  the  area  in  bodies 
varying  in  size  from  1  acre  up  to  1  square  mile,  the  largest  occurring 
on  the  east  and  southw(^st  slopes  of  Mars  Hill.  Usually  the  ty])e 
occurs  as  morainal  knolls  or  as  larger  bodies  in  which  the  morainal 
knolls  are  a  prominent  feature.  It  is,  however,  necessary  to  make 
some  exceptions  to  this  general  rule,  as  the  largest  body  mapped, 
namely,  the  area  at  the  east  foot  of  Mars  Hill,  is  conspicuously  devoid 
of  these  hummocks.  Frequently  small  areas  are  found  along  the 
streams,  but  the  tyj^e  is  of  more  general  occurrence  in  the  larger 
bodies  of  the  Caribou  loam.     Many  small  kiKtlls  of  the  gravelly  loam 


26 


FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 


are  included  in  the  Caribou  loam,  as  they  are  too  small  to  be  mapped 
separately. 

On  account  of  the  loose,  porous  nature  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  one 
would  expect  the  crops  growm  to  suffer  from  drought,  bul^  although 
the  type  does  not  withstand  long  diy  periods  as  well  as  the  more 
retentive  soils  the  crops  are  seldom  injured  by  lack  of  moisture. 

The  Caribou  gravelly  loam  is  of  glacial  origin,  and  though  the 
underlying  gravel  shows  the  effect  of  swift-flowing  waters  the  surface 
soil  indicates  little  if  any  such  effect,  with  the  possible  exception  that 
some  of  the  finer  material  was  carried  by  waters  from  the  melting  ice. 

Practically  all  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation.  The  character- 
istic timber  growth  consists  of  beech,  birch,  and  maple,  with  some 
scattered  spruce,  fir,  and  cedar.  All  these  have  replaced  the  white 
pine  with  which  this  country  was  once  forested. 

The  Caribou  gravelly  loam  is  well  suited  to  potatoes,  the  yield 
varying  from  70  to  90  barrels  per  acre.  Grass,  buckwheat,  and  oats 
do  fairl}^  well,  but  usually  show  the  effects  of  too  thorough  drainage. 
As  a  whole  the  type  is  better  suited  to  potatoes  than  to  any  other  crop. 
The  soil  requires  somewhat  larger  applications  of  fertilizers  than  the 
Caribou  loam  in  order  to  maintain  its  productivity.  Like  all  other 
soils  of  a  porous  nature,  it  is  very  probable  that  the  Caribou  gravelly 
loam  would  be  greatly  benefited  by  heavy  applications  of  barnyard 
manure. 

The  value  of  this  type  is  dependent  on  the  nearness  to  market,  but 
as  a  rule  it  sells  for  $90  to  $100  an  acre  with  the  improvements. 

The  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  typical  fine-earth  samples  of 
soil  and  subsoil  are  given  in  the  following  table: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Caribou  gravelly  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 

sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Sill. 

Clay. 

19(il.'j 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
7.5 

9.6 

Per  cent. 
11.5 

20.9 

Per  cent. 
4.4 

O.G 

Per  cent. 
8.3 

10.5 

Percent. 

8.4 

7.8 

Per  cent. 
43.1 

29.4 

Per  cent. 
16.5 

1961G 

Subsoil 

14.4 

Sample  No.  19015  contained  52.1  per  cent  of  coarse  gravel,  and  No.  19010,  72.3  per  cent. 
MAPLETON    GRAVELLY   LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Mapleton  gravelly  loam  is  a  rather  coarse  gravelly 
loam  12  inches  or  less  in  depth  and  containing  a  rather  high  percent- 
age of  silt.  When  wet  the  soil  is  a  very  dark  brown  with  a  reddish 
cast,  but  when  dry  it  becomes  a  purplish  color.  Below  1 2  inches  it 
is  a  reddish-yellow  gravelly  loam  of  uniform  texture  throughout  the 
soil  profile.  As  a  rule,  the  rock  is  encountered  anywhere  from  6  to  20 
inclu's  below  the  surface,  while  in  some  cases  small  outcrops  occur. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU  AREA,   MAINE. 


27 


The  gravelly  material  in  both  soil  and  subsoil  consists  of  angular  and 
wa Unworn  fragments  of  sandstone  and  quartz. 

The  Mapleton  gravelly  loam  is  of  very  limited  extent.  Only  four 
bodies  were  mapped,  their  combined  area  being  less  than  one-half 
square  mile.  With  the  exception  of  one  small  body  in  Presque  Isle 
Township,  near  Spragueville,  all  the  type  is  confined  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  Mapleton  Township,  occurring  as  long,  narrow  ridges  on 
what  is  known  as  Creasy  Ridge.  These  ridges,  which  mark  places 
where  the  underlying  conglomerates  come  near  the  surface,  in  many 
instances  are  only  a  few  feet  wide.  As  it  was  impossible  to  show  the 
smaller  areas  on  the  map,  they  were  included  with  the  Caribou  loam. 
Since  the  type  occupies  ridges  and  slopes,  and  is  of  a  loose  texture, 
it  is  usually  well  drained.  Except  in  those  cases  where  the  rock  is 
exposed  or  else  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  soil,  there  is  nothing  to 
interfere  with  cultivation. 

The  Mapleton  gravelly  loam,  partly  glacial  and  partly  residual  in 
origin,  owes  its  present  characteristics  to  the  underlying  red  con- 
glomerates and  sandstones,  from  which  it  has  been  derived  through 
glacial  and  weathering  agencies.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  at  one 
time  some  of  these  areas  consisted  of  the  same  soil  as  the  Caribou 
loam,  but  through  the  decomposition  of  the  coarse  conglomerates, 
where  near  the  surface,  the  original  texture  and  color  of  the  soil  have 
undergone  a  decided  change,  while,  as  a  result  of  the  breaking  down 
of  the  conglomerate  rock,  the  type  has  become  a  gravelly  loam. 

The  native  vegetation  consisted  principally  of  such  hard\voods  as 
beech,  birch,  and  maple.  At  present,  however,  all  the  type  is  cleared 
and  under  cultivation.  Potatoes,  grass,  and  grain  are  grown,  and 
where  the  soil  covering  is  not  too  shallow  very  good  yields  are  secured, 
although  perhaps  not  quite  equal  to  those  on  the  Caribou  loam. 
This  soil  seems  to  be  well  adapted  to  fruits,  and  especially  apples. 
The  fertilizpr  applications  arc  the  same  as  for  all  the  other  soils  in  the 
area. 

No  areas  made  up  exclusively  of  this  type  are  on  the  market.  Its 
value  is  largely  determined  by  the  value  of  surrounding  ])odies  of  the 
(\aribou  loam. 

llesults  of  mechanical  analyses  of  fine-earth  samples  of  the  soil 
and  subsoil  arc  given  in  the  following  table: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Mapleton  gravelly  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

.  Coarse 

sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

19(12.1 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
9.0 
11.2 

Per  cent. 
25.0 
10. 9 

Per  cent. 
8.2 
5.7 

Per  cent. 
12.9 
9.1 

Per  cent. 
11.7 
12.6 

Per  cent. 
15.2 
13.4 

Per  cent. 
18.2 

19G2G 

Subsoil 

13.2 

Sample  No.  19025  contained  4G.7  per  cent  of  coarse  gravel  and  No.  19626,  52.0 per  cent. 


28  FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1908. 


EASTON    LOAM. 


The  Easton  loam  consists  of  10  inches  of  ashy-gray  or  nearly  white 
silty  loam,  underlain  by  a  mottled  gray  and  yellow  silty  loam  or  silt 
loam  in  which  there  is  a  gradually  increasing  amount  of  yellow  soil 
until  at  36  inches  only  slight  mottlings  of  the  gray  material  are  dis- 
cernible. Very  frequently  a  layer  of  sticky  yellow  clay  is  encountered 
at  20  to  30  inches.  As  a  rule,  both  soil  and  subsoil  contain  a  large 
number  of  angular  glacial  bowlders  and  rock  fragments  up  to  1  foot  in 
diameter,  seldom  larger,  and  a  noticeable  c{uantity  of  fine  sandstone 
and  shale  gravel.  When  very  (hy  the  surface  has  a  whitish  appear- 
ance and  a  floury  texture,  indicating  the  presence  of  a  large  proportion 
of  "rock  flour,"  the  result  of  the  grinding  up  of  the  rocks  by  glacial 
action.  The  rock  and  shale  fragments  have  a  white  coating  which, 
in  the  newly  plowed  field,  increases  the  whitish  appearance  of  the  soil. 

In  its  natural  state  the  type  has  a  thin  coating  of  leaf  mold,  but 
under  cultivation  this  becomes  incorporated  with  the  wdiite  soil  and 
in  a  short  while  all  traces  of  it  disappear.  On  account  of  the  poor 
drainage  and  stiff  nature  of  the  type  it  is  a  rather  difficult  soil  to 
handle  until  artificially  drained. 

The  Easton  loam  occurs  in  bodies  of  varying  sizes,  from  a  fraction 
of  an  acre  up  to  three-fourths  of  a  square  mile  in  extent,  the  largest 
being  foimd  in  the  northern  part  of  the  area  in  the  townships  of 
Caribou,  Presque  Isle,  and  liimestone.  Only  a  few  areas  large 
enough  to  map  were  found  south  of  Easton  and  Presque  Isle  town- 
ships. The  type  occurs  as  flat  or  depressetl  areas  in,  larger  bodies  of 
Caribou  loam  and  i)resents  a  very  marked  contrast  to  the  dark-brown 
color  of  the  latter  type.  Not  infrequently  it  occurs  as  narrow  strips 
bordering  larger  areas  of  muck.  Because  of  its  position  the  soil  is 
inclined  to  be  poorly  drained  and  good  crops  can  not,  as  a  rule,  be 
grown  imtil  artificial  drainage  has  been  established. 

The  Easton  loa,m  is  of  glacial  origin  and  owes  its  striT^ingly  light 
color  either  to  a  less  advanced  stage  of  weathering  or  to  an  alteration 
of  the  upper  till.  It  is  possible  that  these  areas  may  have  been  cov- 
er(>(l  ])y  water  or  may  have  been  subject  to  wet  and  dry  stages,  con- 
ditions hindering  oxidation  by  preventing  aeration. 

The  characteristic  native  vegetation  consists  of  a  thick  growth  of 
small  tamarack,  spruce,  fir,  cedar,  })oplar,  and  white  birch.  Where 
the  growth  is  not  too  thick  there  is  a  heavy  covering  of  moss  over  the 
soil.  Old  ])ine  stum])s  are  frequently  encountered,  showing  that  this 
most  valuable  tree  at  one  time  grew  on  this  soil. 

When  properly  drained  fair  yields  of  potatoes  are  secured, 
although  nothing  like  the  yields  obtained  on  adjoining  areas  of  the 
Cari))ou  loam.  There  is  some  di(ficu]ty  in  securing  a  good  stand,  as 
th(^  soil  is  inclined  to  be  cold  and  wet,  conditions  which  i)revent  or 


SOIL    SURVEY    OF    THE    CARIBOU    AREA,    MAliS'E. 


29 


hinder  the  sprouting  of  tlie  tubers.  Potatoes  produced  .on  this  soil 
are  somewhat  inferior  in  (puility,  ji.s  there  is  a  teniU^icy  toward  scab- 
biness.  Oats  and  grass  do  fairly  well,  although  the  latter  is  inclined 
to  winterkill. 

What  this  soil  needs  is  a  thorough  sA'steni  of  drainage.  This,  to- 
gether with  the  incorporation  of  organic  matter  in  the  form  of  barn- 
yard manure,  would  improve  the  texture  of  the  soil  and  increase  the 
productivity.  The  fertilizer  application  is  about  the  same  as  that 
for  other  soils  of  the  area. 

The  agricultural  value  of  this  individual  soil  type  cannot  be  given, 
as  it  is  always  included  in  larger  areas  of  the  Caribou  loam  and  other 
types. 

Results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  fine-earth  samples  of  the  soil 
and  subst)il  are  given  in  the  following  table: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Easton  loam. 


Number. 

Dcsc-riplion. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
saud. 

Medium 

sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

19021 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
6.0 
0.3 

Per  cent. 
9.5 
10.  G 

Per  cent. 
4.0 
4.9 

Per  cent. 
11.3 
14.7 

Per  cent. 
9.0 
14.5 

Per  cent. 
40.8 
35.3 

Per  cent. 
19.4 

19022 

Sub-soil 

13.7 

CHAPMAN   LOAM. 


The  Chapman  loam  is  an  extremely  variable  soil,  and  no  general 
characteristics  of  texture  and  color  hold  for  the  entire  type.  For 
this  reason  it  is  necessary  to  consider  the  different  phases  separately. 
The  type  as  a  whole  has  a  very  hummocky  surface,  the  hummocks 
being  4  or  5  feet  in  diameter  and  a  foot  or  two  above  the  intervening 
depressions.  For  the  most  part  the  soil  of  these  hummocks  consists 
of  a  bright-yellow  to  brown,  rather  coarse  loam,  sometimes  gravelly, 
and  frequently  containing  pockets  of  fine  white  silt  or  medium-tex- 
tured dark-colored  sand.  At  or  about  12  inches  this  gives  place 
to  a  sticky  loam,  somewhat  lighter  in  color  and  containing  appreciable 
amounts  of  clay.  The  subsoil  becomes  heavier  w'ith  depth,  until  at 
24  to  30  inches  it  grades  into  the  compact  silt  loam  or  silty  loam  of 
the  lower  till.  In  some  places  this  phase  grades  into  a  bright-yellow 
silt  loam,  in  which  there  is  enough  clay  to  make  the  soil  decidedly 
sticky.  On  other  mounds  the  unweathered  white  or  light-gray  till 
is  found  at  the  surface;  while  in  still  other  cases  the  soil  may  consist 
of  a  light-gray  or  yellowish-gray  silty  loam  mottled  with  brown  iron 
stains.  This  phase  usually  contains  considerable  clay,  and  it  is 
because  of  this  characteristic  that  the  difl'erent  phases  of  the  type 
have  received  the  local  name  "clayey  lands." 

In  the  hollows  the  type  may  consist  of  a  grayish  silt  loam,  similar 
to  the  lower  till,  covered  with  6  to  8  inches  of  vegetable-  niokl  or  muck, 


30  FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE   BUEEAU    OF   SOILS,  1908. 

or  it  may  be  merely  a  mass  of  rock,  while  as  a  rule  few  stones  are 
encountered  in  the  hummocks.  All  these  phases  were  frequently 
found  in  an  area  of  200  square  feet,  but  in  all  cases  they  were  under- 
lain by  the  grayish-white  silty  loam  or  silt  loam  of  the  lower  till. 

The  type  as  mapped  includes  many  bodies  and  strips  of  Muck, 
some  of  which  were  too  small  to  outline  and  others  it  was  impossible 
to  locate  because  of  the  dense  forest.  A  field  of  tliis  type  plowed  for 
the  first  time  shows  the  various  shades  of  yellow,  white,  greenish- 
gray,  and  black,  and  usually  contains  some  small  angular  l)owlders. 
When  the  stumps  and  stones  have  been  removed  the  soil  is  easily 
cultivated,  although  in  wet  seasons  it  is  more  difiicult  to  handle  than 
the  Caribou  loam  because  of  its  sticky  nature. 

The  areas  of  the  Chapman  loam  range  from  a  few  acres  to  several 
square  miles  in  extent.  They  are  found  in  every  township  included 
in  the  survey,  but  the  largest  occurs  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Limestone,  and  also  another  large  body  in  the  northeast  corner  of  tliis 
same  township.  Both  of  these  are  termed  "blueberry  bogs,"  from 
the  fact  that  they  support  a  growth  of  blueberry  bushes.  Other 
large  bodies  are  found  in  the  eastern  part  of  Chapman,  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  Mapleton,  and  along  the  Easton-Fort  Fairfield  line. 
In  addition  to  these,  there  are  many  smaller  bodies  scattered  through- 
out the  area.  As  a  rule,  the  larger  bodies  of  the  type  occupy  a  low 
plain  country  at  the  source  of  several  streams  or  along  stream 
courses.  Some  of  the  smaller  areas,  however,  have  a  more  sloping 
topography.  That  part  of  the  type  occurring  as  plains  is  inclined  to 
be  poorly  drained. 

The  Chapman  loam  is  of  glacial  origin,  but  its  original  character- 
istics have  been  changed  through  the  influence  of  several  agencies. 
The  hummocky  surface  has  probably  been  produced  in  three  ways: 
First,  by  the  upturning  of  trees,  leaving  mounds  of  dirt;  second,  by 
burning  out  of  old  stumps,  leaving  depressions;  third,  by  heaving  of 
the  soil  through  the  action  of  frosts. 

The  native  forest  growth,  which  in  many  cases  is  still  standing,  con- 
sists of  spruce,  fir,  cedar,  tamarack,  white  birch,  poplar,  and  alder, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  otlier  hardwoods.  The  vegetation  on  those  areas 
known  as  "blueberry  bogs"  consists  of  blueberry  bushes,  alders, 
dwarf  cornel,  and  moss,  while  many  of  the  hummocks  are  bare.  Tliis 
difference  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact  that  every  year  or  two  the 
bogs  are  burned  over  to  increase  the  yield  of  tlie  blueberries,  of  which 
thousands  of  bushels  are  sold  each  season. 

On  account  of  the  cold,  wet  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  hummocky 
topography,  the  greater  part  of  the  type  is  still  uncultivated.  Wlien 
once  cleared,  however,  the  better  drained  portions  produce  fair  yields 
of  grass  and  grain  but  are  not  so  well  suited  to  potatoes.  Other  areas 
will  require  artificial  drainage  bof ore  crops  can  be  successfully  grown. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,   MAINE.  31 

The  value  of  the  type  depends  on  the  timber  growth  and  the  near- 
ness to  market.  Where  tlie  growtli  is  hght  from  SO  to  $10  an  acre  is 
the  usual  price,  but  where  there  is  a  good  stand  of  spruce  antl  fir  on 
areas  near  the  railroad  the  value  may  run  as  high  as  $25  an  acre. 

Because  of  the  variability  of  the  type  no  samples  were  taken  for 
mechanical  analyses. 

AROOSTOOK   SILT  LOAM. 

The  Aroostook  silt  loam  to  a  doplli  of  about  10  inches  is  a  dark- 
brown  friable  silt  loam.  Beneath  this  there  is  found  a  lighter  brown 
silt  loam,  slightl}'  mottled  with  gray  and  chocolate  brown,  which 
usually  becomes  sandier  as  the  depth  increases.  The  sandy  material 
is  underlain  at  3  to  5  feet  by  a  stratum  of  dark-colored  gravel.  When 
wet,  the  surface  soil  has  a  very  dark  appearance,  but  the  tlry  surface 
becomes  grayish.  The  soil  in  slight  depressions  is  a  heavy  silt  loam, 
underlain  by  a  mottled  gray  and  yellow  silt  loam,  the  proportion  of 
gray  color  increasing  with  depth  until  at  36  inches  the  color  becomes 
nearly  solid  gray,  slightly  mottled  with  brown.  In  the  higher  lying 
areas  and  near  the  river  the  soil  contains  a  greater  percentage  of  line 
sand.  Pockets  and  thin  strata  of  fine  sand  are  not  infrequently 
found  in  the  subsoil,  while  small  mica  flakes  occur  in  both  soil  and 
subsoil. 

A  phase  which  occurs  to  a  limited  extent  along  Presque  Isle  Stream 
is  darker  in  color  and  has  a  slightly  higher  content  of  silt  and  clay. 

The  soil  as  a  whole  being  very  mellow,  free  from  stones,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  phase  just  described,  well  drained,  presents 
no  obstacles  to  the  plow  or  cultivator. 

Excepting  a  small  area  of  a  few  acres  found  along  the  Prestile 
Stream  just  as  it  leaves  the  county  and  some  narrow  bodies  along  the 
Presque  Isle  Stream  just  west  of  the  village,  all  the  Aroostook  silt 
loam  mapped  occurs  along  the  Aroostook  River.  Narrow  strips  are 
found  on  one  or  l)otli  sides  of  the  river  along  the  greater  part  of  its 
course  through  the  area,  but  there  are  frequent  breaks  where  high 
blufTs  rise  directly  from  the  stream  bed.  The  largest  bodies,  however, 
occupy  a  chain  of  islands  extending  from  a  point  in  the  river  directly 
north  of  Presque  Isle  to  a  point  about  1^  miles  east  of  Crouseville. 
The  smallest  of  these  covers  only  a  few  acres,  while  the  largest  com- 
prises nearly  one-half  square  mile.  These  islands  are  reall}'  a  part  of 
the  first  bottoms  of  the  river,  l)ut  have  been  separated  from  adjoining 
bodies  of  land  b}-  the  cutting  of  new  channels  in  times  of  high  water. 
At  all  other  times  the  water  moves  very  slow!}-  through  these  old 
channels. 

Without  exception  the  type  occupies  the  first  bottoms,  wliich  are 
from  8  to  10  feet  liigher  than  the  river.     The  surface  is  flat  or  gently 


32  FIELD   OPEKATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1908. 

undulating  and,  being  underlain  by  gravel,  the  drainage  is  as  a  rule 
good,  although  not  excessive. 

The  Aroostook  silt  loam  is  of  alluvial  origin  and  represents  the  most 
recent  flood  plains  of  the  streams  along  which  it  occurs.  The  type 
is  subject  to  overflow,  but  this  seldom  happens  except  during  the 
spring  freshets,  and  by  the  time  it  is  desirable  to  cultivate  tlie  land, 
the  waters  have  drained  away  sufficiently  and  do  not  retard  planting 
to  any  great  extent,  though  farm  work  may  be  delayed  a  few  days. 

That  phase  which  occurs  along  the  Pres(|ue  Isle  .Stream  is,  however, 
very  poorly  drained  and,  unlike  the  rest  of  the  type,  owes  its  occur- 
rence to  artificial  rather  than  natural  means.  Across  the  Presque 
Isle  Stream  at  Presque  Isle  there  is  a  tlam  wliich  has  been  in  existence 
many  years.  This  dam  backs  up  water  for  4  miles  and  it  is  along  the 
pond  thus  formed  that  this  j)liase  occurs.  During  high  water  the 
streams,  bearing  loads  of  fine  soil  in  suspension,  enter  this  pond  and 
encountering  the  quiet  waters  are  compelled  to  dispose  of  this  mate- 
rial. The  deposits  thus  formed  gradually  increase  in  thickness  until 
they  reach  a  point  just  above  the  normal  level  of  the  water.  In  times 
of  high  water,  however,  the  soil  is  overflowed. 

The  characteristic  vegetation  of  this  phase  is  a  coarse  swamp  grass. 
It  is  very  (lou])tful  if  a  successful  system  of  artificial  drainage  could  be 
installed  under  present  conditions.  If,  however,  the  dam  should 
be  removed,  it  is  very  likely  tliat  these  areas  would  become  naturally 
well  ch'ained.  On  all  other  parts  of  this  type  the  original  forest  growth 
was  ash  and  elm,  but  at  present  nearly  every  acre  is  under  cultivation. 

Because  of  the  annual  addition  of  fresh  soil  and  decayed  humus 
brought  down  by  the  spring  floods,  this  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  types 
of  soil  in  the  area.  Large  crops  of  potatoes  of  excellent  quality  are 
secured,  the  yield  not  infrequently  running  more  than  100  barrels 
per  acre,  although  the  average  is  considerably  less  than  this,  and  the 
yield  and  quality  are,  as  a  rule,  somewhat  lower  than  on  the  Caribou 
loam.  It  is  especially  well  suited  to  grain  or  grass  and  any  other 
farm  crop  that  will  grow  in  this  section.  Oats  yield  from  40  to  60 
bushels  per  acre,  while  I  to  2  tons  of  hay  is  not  an  unusual  crop.  The 
fertilizer  application  is  about  the  same  as  for  the  other  types,  being 
from  1,200  to  1,500  pounds,  although  larger  increases  in  yield  result 
from  the  same  application  than  on  the  other  soils. 

At  present  none  of  the  type  is  on  the  market.  It  is  doubtful  if  any 
of  this  land  with  the  improvements  could  be  purchased  for  less  than 
$100  an  acre,  while  the  price  for  the  greater  part  of  it  would  run  some- 
what higher.  As  is  the  case  with  several  other  soils  of  limited  extent, 
no  farms  are  made  up  entirely  of  this  one  type,  so"  it  is  a  difficult  matter 
to  get  at  the  actual  value. 

Average  results  of  mechanical  analj^scs  of  fine-earth  samples  of  the 
soil  and  subsoil  are  given  in  the  following  table: 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    THE    CARIBOU    AHEA,    MAINE. 
Mechanical  analyses  of  Aroostook  silt  loam. 


33 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

19G03  19(107 

Soil. 

Per  cent. 

0.1 

Per  cent. 
0.7 

.7 

Per  cent. 
0.4 

.8 

Per  cent. 
6.1 
0.7 

Per  cent. 
15.7 
13.8 

Per  cent. 
62.7 
63.7 

Per  cent. 
14.6 

19(i04, 19008 

Subsoil 

.0 

14.4 

AROOSTOOK    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Aroostook  loam  consists  of  a  dark-brown  or  some- 
times yellowish-brown  heavy  loam  8  to  10  inches  cU'cp,  containing 
perce])tible  amounts  of  medium  to  fine  sand  with  a  ])ercentage  of 
clay  high  enough  to  give  the  soil  a  sticky  texture  in  wet  weather. 
For  the  first  10  inches  the  subsoil  is  a  mottled  gray  and  brown  silty 
loam  to  silt  loam.  At  about  20  inches  it  changes  to  a  mottled 
gray  and  brown  very  compact  silt  loam  in  which  the  gray  color 
predominates.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  type  contains  more  clay 
than  the  other  soils  in  the  area  it  has  received  the  name  "clayey 
land"  from  man}'  of  the  farmers.  Very  few  stones  occur  and  these 
are  sniall.  The  tyi)c  as  a  whole  is  easily  handled,  although  it  is 
somewhat  more  sticky  than  most  of  the  soils. 

Only  three  bodies  of  the  type  were  mapped  and  the  combined 
area  of  these  is  not  over  one-fourth  square  mile.  Many  bodies, 
however,  too  small  to  map  were  encountered.  All  of  the  type  is 
found  along  the  Aroostook  River,  and  those  areas  mapped  occur 
about  3  miles  northeast  of  Presque  Isle.  The  t\"})e  occupies  terraces 
and  indistinctly  developed  terraces  at  the  foot  of  slopes  bordering 
the  Aroostook  River  and  is  usually  well  drained,  although,  owing 
to  the  compact  nature  of  the  underlying  layer  of  silt,  it  is  somewhat 
more"  retentive  than  the  other  river-bottom  soils. 

The  Aroostook  loam  ])olongs  to  the  grou})  derived  from  modified 
glacial  drift.  The  underlying  silt  was  laid  down  in  quiet  waters, 
but  the  surface  soil  has  been  influenced  to  some  extent  by  washings 
from  the  adjoining  sl()])es  of  the  Caribou  loam.  Though  all  the  ty])e 
is  now  cleared  and  under  cultivation,  it  is  very  probable  that  at 
one  time  it  was  covered  with  a  thick  forest  of  spruce,  fir,  poplar, 
and  white  birch,  mixed  with  a  few  other  hardwoods.  Grain,  grass, 
antl  ])otatoes  are  the  cro})s  grown,  and  while  all  do  well  it  is  generally 
acknowledged  that  this  soil  is  not  quite  as  well  suited  to  potatoes 
as  the  more  loamy  and  gravelly  soils.  Grass  yields  from  1  to  H 
tons  of  hay  and  oats  from  40  to  50  bushels  ])er  acre.  The  fertilizer 
])racticc  is  about  the  same  as  for  the  other  river  soils. 

On  account  of  the  small  extent  and  the  variability  of  the  tyi)e  no 
sami)les  were  taken  for  mechanical  analyses. 


AROOSTOOK    SANDY    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Aroostook  sandy  loam  to  a  depth  of  6  to  12  inches 
consists  of  a  brown  or  yellowish-brown  medium  to  line  sandj'  loam 


34  FIELD    OPERATIONS    OF    THE    BUREAU    OF    SOILS,    1908. 

containing  a  perceptible  amount  of  silt.  The  suDsoil  to  a  depth  of 
36  inches  is  a  grayish-black  or  greenish-gray  medium  sand,  containing 
sjnall  particles  of  quartz,  calcite,  and  mica,  but  consisting  principally 
of  dark-colored  shale,  slate,  and  sandstone  fragments.  Pockets  of  a 
light-colored  silty  sand  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  subsoil. 
At  about  36  inches  the  soil  as  a  rule  is  underlain  by  a  more  or  less 
impervious  stratum  which  in  the  low-lying  areas  is  a  compact  yellow- 
ish-brown clay  or  sometimes  a  bluish-gray  silt}-  clay,  while  in  the 
more  elevated  portions  the  C()m])act  silty  lower  till  is  often  found  at 
a  depth  of  less  than  36  inches.  On  the  upland  side  the  type  may 
grade  into  the  Caribou  loam,  the  line  of  demarcation  in  some  cases 
being  very  indistinct.  On  the  other  hand  a  steep  bluff  marks  the 
boundary  between  the  two  tyj^es.  Immediately  after  a  rain  the 
soil  has  a  very  dark  brown  appearance,  but  as  it  dries  the  surface 
becomes  lighter  in  color  and  approaches  more  nearly  a  yellow.  As 
is  usually  the  case  with  sandy  soils,  the  type  is  loose  and  friable  and 
therefore  easily  cultivated. 

The  Aroostook  sandy  loam  occurs  only  along  the  Aroostook  River 
and  almost  invariably  occupies  the  second  terraces,  although  in  one 
or  two  cases  it  is  found  on  what  is  apparently  a  first,  though  reall}^  a 
second  terrace.  The  largest  bodies  of  tliis  type  are  found  a  few  miles 
northwest  of  Presque  Isle  and  across  the  river  from  Fort  Fairfield. 

As  a  rule,  the  type  occupies  comparatively  level  areas.  In  a  few 
of  the  smaller  bodies,  where  the  soil  occurs  as  long  narrow  ridges,  as 
is  the  case  near  Beans,  the  surface  is  slightly  rolling. 

Notwithstanding  the  structure  is  rather  loose  and  incoherent  and 
the  soil  is  underlain  by  a  stratum  of  sand,  it  retains  water  to  a  marked 
degree  and  cultivated  crops  seldom  suffer  from  drought  to  any  great 
extent.  This  can  probably  be  accounted  for,  in  a  measure  at  least, 
by  the  presence  within  3  feet  of  the  surface  of  the  compact  stratum 
which  retards  the  water  in  its  downward  course,  while  the  surface 
mulch  that  results  from  thorough  cultivation  prevents  rapid  evapora- 
tion. Such  crops  as  oats  and  grass,  however,  which  can  not  be  culti- 
vated, are  apt  to  suffer  to  some  extent  from  drought  during  dry 
seasons. 

The  Aroostook  sandy  loam  is  derived  fn/m  modified  glacial  drift. 
The  terraces  which  this  ty{)e  forms  were  the  old  flood-plains  of  the 
Aroostook  Valley,  along  which  the  reworked  glacial  material  was 
deposited. 

Elm  and  ash  were  the  native  tree  growths.  At  present  practically 
all  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation,  and  like  all  other  soils  of  the  area 
it  is  devoted  to  the  production  of  potatoes,  oats,  and  grass.  The 
yield  of  potatoes  is  from  70  to  80  barrels.  Oats  and  grass  produce 
fair  yields,  but  the  soil  is  not  so  well  adapted  to  these  crops  as  the 
heavier  soils.     The  drainage  is  thorough  and  the  soil  warm  and  early 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   THE   CABIBOU   AREA,    MAINE. 


35 


for  this  locality,  aiul  for  this  reason  it  would  probably  make  a  good 
truckin*!;  soil.  At  present  nearly  all  the  vegetables  consumed  in  the 
area  are  shipped  from  Boston  and  other  southern  points.  As  most 
of  the  Aroostook  sandy  loam  lies  near  the  larger  towns,  it  would  seem 
to  oll'er  good  opportunities  for  the  production  of  market-garden  crops 
to  take  the  place  of  the  imported  products. 

From  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  of  commercial  fertilizer  is  the  usual 
ajiphcation  on  this  type.  There  is  a  slight  tendency  toward  leacliiness 
in  this  soil,  and  the  effects  of  this  fertilizer  are  not  as  histing  as  on 
other  soils.  The  a(hUtion  of  organic  matter  in  some  form  would 
doubtless  prove  very  beneficial  to  the  type. 

Since  the  areas  are  small,  it  is  difhcult  to  estimate  the  individual 
value  of  the  soil  type.  When  included  with  other  soils  and  with  such 
improvements  as  fences  and  buildings  the  land  sells  for  $100  an  acre. 

Average  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  fine-earth  samples  of  the 
soil  and  subsoil  are  given  in  the  following  table : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Aroostook  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

19599  19601 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.6 

.6 

Per  cent. 
6.1 
10.8 

Per  cent. 
11.6 
20.7 

Per  cent. 
35.8 
48.0 

Per  cent. 
13.1 
9.8 

Per  cent. 
11.4 
6.1 

Per  cent. 
12.0 

19500,19602 

Subsoil 

3.7 

WASHBURN    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Washburn  loam  is  a  very  dark  brown  or  black  silty 
loam  12  inches  deep.  The  subsoil  is  a  grayish-yellow  silty  loam, 
mottled  with  brown  and  yellow,  becoming  a  yellowish  sandy  clay  at 
or  near  36  inches.  In  a  wet  condition  the  soil  is  much  blacker  than 
when  dry.  In  general  the  dark  color  is  due  to  a  high  content  of 
organic  matter.  The  surface  is  strewn  with  granite,  gneiss,  and  sand- 
stone rocks,  varying  in  size  from  6  to  18  inches,  and  a  few  larger  glacial 
bowlders.  In  fact,  this  one  characteristic  disthiguishes  it  from  the 
other  soils  of  the  area. 

Jjike  all  other  glaciated  soils  in  the  area,  the  type  contains  many 
small  shale  and  slate  fragments,  thus  giving  a  gravelly  effect  to  the 
soil,  the  gravel  as  a  rule  being  more  abundant  in  the  subsoil  than  in 
the  soil.  The  covering  of  soil  over  the  underlying  calcareous  shale  is 
deeper  than  in  the  case  of  the  Caribou  loam.  After  the  larger  bowl- 
ders have  been  removed  the  type  is  not  a  difficult  one  to  cultivate, 
although  the  poorly  drained  areas  are  not  so  easily  managed. 

The  Washburn  loam,  which  is  found  in  every  township,  is  of  more 
common  occurrence  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area  in  the  towns  of 
Easton,  Prescpie  Isle,  Mars  ITill,  Blaine,  and  Bridgewater,  where  it  is 
closely  associatetl  with  large  swamp  or  muck  areas.     There  are  no 


36 


FIELD    OPERATIONS    OF    THE    BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1908. 


large,  continuous  bodies,  but  it  is  found  as  narrow  strips  along  some 
of  the  smaller  streams  and  branches  and  in  the  hollows  through 
which  the  drainage  waters  How  as  small,  isolated  depressions  and 
as  narrow  areas  bordering  bodies  of  Muck.  In  the  last  case  the  areas 
mark  what  was  at  one  time  Muck,  but  after  the  removal  of  the  forest 
growth  tlie  soil  dried  out  sufliciently  to  make  cultivation  possible. 
As  cultivation  continued  the  amount  of  organic  matter  gradually 
decreased,  while  there  was  a  proportionate  increase  in  the  amount  of 
earthy  material,  resulting  in  a  gradual  change  from  Muck  to  Washburn 
loam.  In  every  case  the  type  is  found  in  those  places  where  the  con- 
ditions were  favorable  to  heavy  accumulations  of  humus,  which  gives 
the  type  its  chief  characteristic.  In  position  and  origin,  as  well  as  in 
texture,  the  type  is  intermediate  between  the  Caribou  loam  and 
Muck,  and  to  a  certain  extent  has  the  characteristics  of  each. 

As  a  rule,  the  type  is  fairly  well  drained,  although  the  drainage  is 
not  as  thorough  as  in  the  case  of  the  Caribou  loam,  and  in  a  few  places 
artificial  drainage  would  undoubtedly  prove  very  beneficial. 

The  Washburn  loam  is  of  glacial  origin,  but  the  true  character- 
istics of  tlie  glacial  material  have  been  marked  to  a  large  extent  by 
the  accumulation  of  organic  mutter  and  by  the  washing  in  of  the  soils 
from  the  surrounding  areas. 

The  native  vegetation  of  the  type  is  what  is  locally  known  as 
"black  growth"  and  consists  of  a  dense  forest  of  spruce,  fir,  cedar, 
and  tamarack,  with  a  few  beech,  birch,  poplar,  and  white  birch. 

The  Washburn  loam  is  especially  adapted  to  the  production  of 
grass,  of  which  large  yields  are  obtained.  Oats  and  buckwheat  also 
do  well.  Large  yields  of  potatoes  are  secured,  but  in  quality  they  are 
inferior  and  usually  scabby,  so  it  is  not  advisable  to  grow  them  on  this 
soil.  Hay  yields  from  1^  to  2  tons,  oats  40  to  50  bushels,  and  pota- 
toes 70  to  90  barrels  per  acre. 

The  fertilizer  application  is  about  the  same  as  for  other  types  of  the 
area.     At  present  there  is  no  need  for  the  addition  of  organic  matter. 

The  type  as  a  rule  is  not  much  in  demand  for  general  farm  pur- 
poses, and  where  $10  to  $12  an  acre  is  paid  for  uncleared  hardwood 
soils  this  type  brings  only  $2  to  $5,  the  value  depending  largely  on  the 
timber  growth. 

The  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  fine-earth  samples  of  soil  and 
subsoil  are  jriven  in  the  following  table: 


Mechanical  analyses  of  Washburn  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand.' 

V'ery  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

19627 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
1.4 
3.2 

Per  cent. 
5.5 
7.2 

Per  cent. 
3.4 

4.4 

Per  cent. 
11.7 
21.1 

Per  cent. 
10.4 
19.7 

Per  cent. 
50.3 
40.1 

Per  cent. 
16.8 

19628 

Subsoil 

12.9 

SOIL   SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  37 


The  Muck  consists  of  black,  thorouglily  decomposed  vegetable 
matter,  mixed  with  soil  that  has  washed  in  from  adjacent  uplands 
and  ranging  in  depth  from  8  inches  to  3  feet  or  more.  The  subsoil 
is  quite  variable,  depending  somewhat  on  the  position  in  which 
the  type  occurs.  Along  some  of  the  smaller  streams,  and  where 
the  covering  of  muck  is  shallow,  it  consists  of  a  grayish  silty  material 
resembling  the  lower  till,  while  in  other  cases  the  top  soil  may  be 
underlain  by  a  very  stony  loam,  so  stony  in  fact  that  it  is  seldom 
])ossible  to  bore  into  it  with  the  soil  auger.  The  larger  flat  areas 
may  have  either  one  of  these  subsoils,  or,  as  is  more  often  the  case, 
they  may  be  underlain  by  a  bluish  clay.  When  properly  drained 
the  type  is  easily  cultivated. 

The  Muck  is  found  in  bodies  ranging  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  1 
square  mile  or  more.  It  occurs  as  strips  of  varying  width  alono- 
nearly  all  the  streams,  except  the  Aroostook  River,  and  from  all  of 
the  larger  bodies  narrow  projections  extend  into  the  adjacent  upland, 
indicating  the  source  of  a  small  branch  which  may  be  dry  the  greater 
portion  of  the  year.  In  addition  to  this  there  are  many  large  flat 
areas  in  which  several  streams  have  their  sources  and  others  where 
several  small  streams  unite. 

The  type  is  of  very  common  occurrence  throughout  all  of  the 
townships  in  the  area,  but  the  largest  and  most  numerous  bodies  are 
found  in  Easton,  Mars  Hill,  Blaine,  Bridgewater,  and  the  southern 
part  of  Presque  Isle,  while  C'aribou,  Limestone,  Fort  Fau-ficld, 
and  the  northern  half  of  Presque  Isle  have  the  least.  The  type  as 
a  whole  is  low  and  level,  and  during  a  part  of  the  year,  at  least,  is 
covered  with  water.  Streams  flowing  through  it  have  no  well- 
defined  channels,  and  during  high  water  spread  out  over  the  adjoining 
Muck  areas. 

The  subsoil  of  the  Muck  is  of  glacial  origin  and  consists  of  both 
modified  and  unmodified  drift.  The  soil,  however,  is  of  more  recent 
formation,  and  where  it  occurs  along  streams  and  in  the  smaller 
depressions  is  the  result  of  decaying  vegetable  matter  which  has 
become  mixed  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  with  soils  washed  in  from 
adjacent  u])lands.  Many  of  the  large,  flat  areas  probably  repre- 
sent old  lake  basins,  filled  with  organic  remains  and  soil  wash. 
This  same  process  is  gradually  extinguishing  many  of  the  existing 
lakes,  and,  as  the  water  is  usually  very  shallow,  the  encroachment  is 
relatively  rapid.  The  vegetation  on  these  newly  formed  muck  areas 
along  the  lakes  consists  of  a  coarse  swamp  grass,  pitcher  plants, 
and  a  few  tamarack  trees.  All  other  areas  are  covered  with  an  almost 
impenetrable  growth  of  cedar,  spruce,  tamarack,  and  fir. 

On  account  of  its  poorly  drainetl  condition  and  the  difficulty 
encountered  in  clearing  the  type  comparatively  Uttle  of  it  is  under 


38  FIELD   OPERATIONS    OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS^,   1908. 

cultivation,  although  the  farmers  are  making  clearings  of  narrow 
strips  on  the  outer  edges  from  time  to  time.  In  addition  to  the 
thick  growth  of  evergreen  the  ground  is  usually  covered  to  a  depth 
of  2  or  3  feet  with  old  cedar  bogs  buried  under  decaying  organic 
matter  and  overgrown  with  moss.  When  the  trees  are  cut,  the 
rubbish  removed,  and  the  muck  exposed  to  the  sun  many  of  the 
areas  dry  sufficiently  to  permit  cultivation  without  drainage  and  pro- 
duce excellent  hay.  Many  areas,  however,  lie  so  low  that  the  land  can 
never  be  used  for  agricultural  purposes  until  artificial  drainage 
has  been  established.  Most  of  these  areas  are  so  situated  as  to 
make  the  drainage  problem  a  rather  simple  one,  as  there  would  be 
little  difficulty  in  finding  an  outlet  for  the  water. 

The  yield  of  grass,  to  which  crop  the  soil  is  especially  adapted, 
is  from  1  to  2  tons  of  hay  per  acre,  and  the  quality  excellent.  It  is 
very  probable  that  celery  would  do  well,  and  it  is  advised  that  experi- 
ments be  made  along  this  line,  as  excellent  results  have  been  obtained 
from  growing  celery  on  similar  soils  in  other  parts  of  the  United 
States.  The  type  is  not  suited  to  potatoes,  as  they  are  almost 
certain  to  be  scabby  and  of  inferior  quality. 

None  of  these  lands  are  sold  for  agricultural  purposes.  The 
price  they  bring  depends  entirely  on  the  timber  growth  and  ranges 
from  $2  to  as  high  as  $25  an  acre,  the  latter  price  applying  where 
there  is  a  good  stand  of  pulp  woods  near  the  market. 

SUMMARY. 

The  Caribou  area  is  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  Aroostook 
County  and  extends  north  and  south  along  the  New  Brunswick  line 
for  a  distance  of  40  miles.  Its  greatest  width  east  and  west  is  15 
miles.     The  total  area  is  530  square  miles,  or  339,200  acres. 

The  three  largest  towns  in  the  county  are  Caribou,  Presque  Isle, 
and  Fort  Fairfield.  Other  important  and  growing  towns  are  Mars 
Hill,  Blaine,  Robinson,  Bridgewater  Center,  and  Westfield. 

The  surface  of  the  area  is  neither  level  nor  hilly,  though  there  are 
some  high  hills.  There  are  many  ridges  and  swells,  and  along  the 
Aroostook  River  there  are  two  distinct  terraces.  With  the  exception 
of  the  southeastern  corner,  all  of  the  area  is  drained  by  the  Aroostook 
River  and  its  branches.  The  small  streams  furnish  fine  water  power, 
which  in  many  cases  has  been  developed. 

The  transportation  facilities  are  very  good.  Besides  the  main  line 
of  the  Bangor  and  Aroostook,  there  are  branch  railroads  extending 
to  Ijimestone  and  Fort  Fairfield  and  a  line  of.  the  Canadian  Pacific 
following  the  river  to  Presque  Isle.  No  point  in  the  area  is  more 
than  10  miles  distant  from  the  railroad. 

The  winters  are  long  and  cold,  while  the  summers  are  comparatively 
short  and  hot.     Frosts  have  occurred  every  month  in  the  year,  but 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   THE   CARIBOU   AREA,    MAINE.  39 

are  rare  in  July.  Light  frosts  frequently  occur  in  June  and  August. 
The  rainfall  is  distributed  throughout  the  year.  Snow  falls  before 
the  ground  freezes  and  remains  throughout  the  winter.  As  there  is 
no  frost  in  the  ground  and  as  the  waters  drain  off  rapidly,  the  land 
can  be  worked  almost  as  soon  as  the  snow  melts. 

The  first  settlement  was  made  at  Fort  Fairfield  in  1816  by  pioneers 
from  New  Brunswick.  Later  on  Dutch,  English,  Irish,  wSwedish,  and 
French  immigrants  came  into  the  county  through  the  Provinces  and 
settled  at  Caribou,  Presque  Isle,  and  New  Sweden.  After  the  con- 
struction of  the  "military  road"  in  1830,  settlers  began  ccmiing  in 
from  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  The  first  settlers  grew  some 
hay,  oats,  wheat,  buckwheat,  and  a  few  potatoes  for  home  consump- 
tion, but  depended  principall}"  on  forest  products. 

Introduction  of  starch  manufacture  in  1874  resulted  in  increased 
attention  being  given  to  the  potato  crop,  and  some  potatoes  were 
shipped  over  the  Canadian  Pacific.  Not  until  the  opening  of  the 
Bangor  and  Aroostook  road  in  1894  did  potato  growing  begin  in 
earnest.  From  that  time  grain  and  beef  production  and  dairying 
declined  and  potato  production  became  the  loading  inckistry.  In  1908 
the  estimated  crop  of  Aroostook  County  was  16,000,000  bushels. 
The  greater  proportion  of  this  immense  output  is  used  for  the  table 
and  for  seed.  The  inferior  tubers  are  sold  to  starch  factories.  The 
leading  varieties  grown  are  Irish  Cobbler,  Green  Mountain,  and  Bliss 
Red.  Large  quantities  of  hay  are  shipped  to  Boston.  These  are 
the  only  money  crops.  Not  enough  grain  is  produced  in  the  area  to 
suppl}^  the  home  demand. 

Potatoes,  grass,  and  grain  are  grown  on  all  the  soil  types.  No 
single  system  of  rotation  is  adhered  to  closely,  but  the  general  plan 
is  a  three-course  rotation  embracing  four  to  six  years,  made  up  as 
follows:  Potatoes  one  or  two  years,  grain  one  year,  grass  one,  two,  or 
three  years. 

The  price  of  ridge  land  with  improvements  and  cleared  of  hardwood 
is  about  $100  an  acre.  Land  is  rented  to  share  tenants  for  one-half 
the  crop  and  to  cash  tenants  for  $10  to  $25  an  acre.  About  91  per 
cent  of  the  farms  are  operated  by  owners.  The  rented  lands  are 
about  evenl}^  divided  between  share  and  cash  tenants. 

Exclusive  of  Muck,  eleven  soil  types  have  been  mapped  in  tlie  area. 
These  vary  in  texture  from  sand  to  heavy  silt  loams,  but  the  greater 
proportion  of  the  area  is  made  up  of  a  friable  silty  loam.  The  ab- 
sence of  large  glacial  bowlders  makes  the  use  of  farm  machinery  prac- 
ticable. 

The  topography  of  the  Caribou  loam  is  rolling  and  the  type  is  well 
drained.  It  withstands  long  dry  periods  to  a  remarkable  degree.  It 
is  suited  to  all  farm  crops^  especially  to  potatoes. 


40  FIELD    OPERATIONS    OF    THE    BUEEAU    OF    SOILS,   1908. 

The  Caribou  silt  loam  is  similar  in  many  respects  to  the  Caribou 
loam  and  is  adapted  to  the  same  crops.  It  contains  a  somewhat 
higher  percentage  of  silt. 

The  Caribou  gravelly  loam  occurs  as  piles  of  morainal  material  in 
strips  along  streams  and  in  one  case  as  a  large  and  comparatively 
level  area.  The  type  is  well  (h'ained  and  produces  excellent  potatoes, 
but  is  not  quite  so  well  suited  to  grass  and  grain. 

The  Caribou  stony  loam  contains  many  large  bowlders  and  is 
marked  by  small  areas  of  rock  outcrop.  None  of  the  type  is  culti- 
vated. It  is  better  that  it  remain  in  forest,  although  some  areas 
would  probably  afford  good  pasturage. 

The  Chapman  loam,  as  a  ride,  occupies  low,  plain  country  and  is 
inclined  to  be  cold  and  poorly  drained.  This  tj^^je  is  poorly  adapted  to 
the  production  of  potatoes,  but  on  the  better-drained  areas  grass  and 
grain  do  well. 

The  Easton  loam  occurs  in  depressions  and  as  narrow  strips  along 
swamp  areas.  It  is  not,  as  a  rule,  well  drained,  and  while  grass  and 
grain  do  well  the  tyj^e  is  not  suited  to  potatoes. 

The  Washburn  loam  is  found  in  depressions  and  along  stream 
slopes.  This  type  produces  large  crops  of  grass  and  oats,  but  the 
potatoes  are  inclined  to  be  scabby. 

The  Mapleton  gravelly  loam  is  of  very  limited  extent.  It  is  well 
drained,  and  where  the  rock  is  not  too  near  the  surface  fair  crops  of 
grass,  grain,  and  potatoes  are  protkiced.  The  type  is  well  suited  to 
apples. 

The  Aroostook  silt  loam  is  the  most  extensive  of  the  river  soils,  and 
though  of  level  topography  and  subject  to  overflow  during  the  spring 
freshets  is  well  drained.  This  is  an  excellent  grass  and  grain  soil,  and 
potatoes  do  fairly  well.  ^ 

The  Aroostook  sandy  loam  is  found  on  the  second  terraces  and  is 
well  drained.  Potatoes  do  well,  but  the  yields  of  grass  and  grain  are 
not  quite  equal  to  those  of  the  heavier  soils.  Vegetables  should  do 
well  on  this  type. 

The  Aroostook  loam  is  of  very  limited  extent.  It  is  well  drained 
and  suited  to  general  farm  purj)oses. 

Muck  represents  large  accumulations  of  vegetable  matter  mixed 
with  soil.  Where  drained,  good  cro])s  of  grass  are  secured.  Celery 
should  do  well  on  this  type. 

The  farmers  are  in  general  very  prosperous.  They  have  substan- 
tial dwellings,  warm  barns,  and  good  horses.  As  a  rule  they  practice 
up-to-date  methods  of  farming.  They  could,  however,  improve  their 
land  and  decrease  their  fertilizer  bills  by  keeping  more  live  stock  and 
by  following  a  three-year  rotation  of  potatoes,  grain,  and  clover. 

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